Clarence Kapay

Imagine the scent of freshly fallen rain and a brilliantly refracted rainbow cascading down on an Indian village in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. Perhaps you can hear an earthshattering crack of lightning as it sizzles across a spattered palette of color, culminating in the formation of a majestic warrior or a bald eagle. Or maybe you can feel the warmth as the darting flames of a campfire illuminate a buffalo hide teepee while directly above, the multi-colored, pulsating columns of light known as the aurora borealis dance in the heavens. These enchanting images remain imaginary until they’re brought to life by the the paint brush of Plains Cree artist Clarence Kapay.

Clarence enjoys a solid reputation in the world of Western and Native American Art not in the least because of his exceptional talent, but also due to a combination of several factors including experience, family support, education and Clarence claims "several opportune strokes of good luck". He’s a graduate of the First Nations University of Canada and has accumulated a number of awards and achievements in his twelve years as a professional artist. He’s been juried into several prestigious art shows across Canada and the United States and this year will mark his fourth appearance at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede’s Western Art Show Sales Salon.

Over the past several years Clarence’s paintings have been auctioned at Robert Kennedy Jr.’s Waterkeeper Alliance gala fund raiser where he’s had the pleasure of meeting the likes of Robin Williams, Alec Baldwin, Jason Priestly, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Fran Drescher, Marla Maples, Richard Dean Anderson and of course Bobby Kennedy Jr. His painting "Visions" was presented to His Royal Highness, Prince Charles on his Royal Tour of Regina in 2001. Kapay’s work also adorns the dust cover of "Red Coats on the Prairies", a book released in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In 1999 Kapay was also presented with the Artistic Award of Excellence by Tourism Saskatchewan. When one is honored by his peers it can be a defining moment and it was apparent when Clarence was bestowed with the First Nation’s Art and Achievement Award in 2002. The award is presented by the Women of the Dawn, to an individual of First Nation’s ancestry, in recognition of lifetime achievement in their particular field.

Born and raised on the Day Star First Nation in south central Saskatchewan, Clarence is best known for his diversity and draftsmanship. He utilizes art as a means of communicating his people’s symbols, spirituality and beliefs..

His humble beginnings on the Day Star First Nation stand in stark contrast to his mountain home in Banff, Alberta, where he lives with his wife Val and two daughters, Shania and Sierra.

"I live in an environment where the air is clean, the land is rugged and the wildlife is plentiful, the perfect environment for an artist" ,Kapay says, as he relaxes in his studio staring out toward a backyard full of spruce and pine. "I’m incredibly lucky to do what I enjoy for a living and I appreciate the interest in my art. Where ever I am, if I’m standing alone on a precipice of a mountain or along a foggy lake shore on the cusp of a crisp summer sun rise, I take with me all the nuances of that instant and it’s the essence of that fleeting moment that I try to recapture on canvass. It is my honor to present to you these portals to my imagination."


For More Information Please Contact:
Valerie & Clarence Kapay
Box 3279
Banff Alberta    T1L 1C9
(403) 760-2593 
ckapay@telus.net or vkapay@telus.net

 

 

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