Kawtysie Kakee

Photo Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts & Crafts

Biography

Kawtysie Kakee is a renowned weaver from Panniqtuuq (Pangnirtung), NU, who works in the tapestry studio at the Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts and Crafts. For over 30 years Kakee has been working with textiles after beginning to work at the Panniqtuuq tapestry studio in 1975. She is a master weaver, and sews in addition to creating knitted and crocheted items.

Kakee has participated in many artistic projects and exhibitions throughout her life. Her tapestry Qaqqait (Mountains) (1993) was created from her own drawing, while her tapestry Winter Games (2004) was based on a work by Elisapee Ishulutaq, CM (1925--2018). Several of Kakee's tapestries have been based on designs or artworks by other artists, such as Malaya Akulujuk (1915-1995) and Andrew Qappik, CM, and she has also designed over 60 tapestries.

Kakee has additionally contributed to four commissions completed at the Panniqtuuq studio, and was the lead weaver for mural tapestry Back Then (2002) for the Nunavut Legislative Assembly [1]. Kakee collaborated with other Panniqtuuq weavers such as Kathy Battye, Anna Etuangat, Leesee Kakee and Olassie Akulukjuk to weave a tapestry, Achieving a Dream (2010), for the Vancouver Olympics that was commissioned by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and initially designed by Andrew Qappik, CM [2]. The tapestry also featured work completed by other Inuit artists living and working outside of Panniqtuuq. Achieving a Dream is a colourful and combined representation of Inuit games and competitive sports.

Kakee's was featured Nuvisavik: The Place Where We Weave (2002), an exhibition at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, QC, that displayed artwork created in the Panniqtuuq studio to highlight the history of the region and artists’ involvement in their community. Her work has been exhibited at the Winnipeg Art Gallery in Winnipeg, MB, the gallery at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS, and at the Upstairs Gallery in Winnipeg, MB.

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Accomplishments

2010: Contributed to the creation of the Achieving a Dream tapestry for the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.
2002: Led the creation of the Back Then tapestry for the Nunavut Legislative Assembly.