Kaytlyn Amitnak Niego

Katlyn Amitnak Niego is a Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU-based painter who tells stories through her medium of rich oil paints brushed onto canvas or caribou leather that she has stretched and strung onto a frame, reminiscent of sealskin stretched to dry. While Niego’s imagery ranges from affectionate portraits of mothers and children to arctic animals, her favourite subject matter is Shamen and spirit helpers. Painting brilliant backgrounds of clear blue skies or warm orange sunsets, the Shamen of Niego’s creations rise like ghosts from the lands, with their hunting tools in hand, piercing eyes watching from within hoods. 

“I find it really interesting because something from our culture that isn't maintained right at this moment,” she explains, “I'm really into our culture and our cultural beliefs so it’s important to me to create those visuals of the past and our belief systems.” [1]

While much of her art practice is entirely self-taught, Niego fondly recalls an influence from her grandmother, who was a printmaker and credits fellow artist Tanya Innaarulik as a mentor. Currently, she is continuing to develop her painting practice with a particular interest in depicting birds such as ravens in her work going forward.




This Profile was made possible through support from the RBC Foundation’s Emerging Artists Project.