First Name: Goyce

Last Name: Kakegamic

Full Name: Goyce Kakegamic

Date of birth: 1948

Place of birth: Sandy Lake First Nation, Ontario, Canada

Community / Heritage: Cree

Sex: Male

Art Media: Serigraph, silkscreen, acrylic, Canadian Indigenous tempera, gouache, watercolour.

Bio:

Goyce Kakegamic is a prominent Canadian painter, printmaker, educator and community leader. Kakegamic was born at the Sandy Lake Indian Reserve, Ontario. He began painting as a teenager, influenced by his Ojibwe brother-in-law Norval Morrisseau and Cree artist Carl Ray.

In the late 1960s, Morrisseau and Ray held demonstration workshops at reserves and schools across Ontario. Under the guidance of these two artists, Kakegamic and his brother Joshim began to paint. By the early 1970s, both brothers had became successful professional artists.

Screenprinting would play a major part in Kakegamic’s career. He learned the craft at the Open Studio in Toronto; inspired by Daphne Odjig’s Indian Prints of Canada Ltd. Company, he and his brothers Joshim and Henry established the Triple K Cooperative printing company in 1973. Based in Red Lake, Ontario, the company enabled the brothers and other artists, including Norval Morrisseau, Saul Williams, Barry and Paddy Peters to present their work in an unfiltered, independent, and unique way. Triple K Cooperative existed for ten years and became the largest and most successful Indigenous economic development initiative in Northwestern Ontario. It provided an infrastructure that resulted in many artists having their work exhibited and acquired by prominent art galleries and museums both nationally and globally. 

In 1974, Kakegamic and Joshim held a two-person exhibition at Toronto's Aggregation Gallery. Several exhibitions followed, including at the McMichael Art Gallery and the Mohawk Institute in Brantford, Ontario.

Kakegamic’s style is usually described as being a part of the Woodland School of Art. It is rich with spiritual imagery and symbolism, illustrating the heritage and legends of Ojibwe people.

His works can be found in numerous public and private collections throughout North America and Europe, including the permanent collections of the Museum of Civilization and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. 

Kakegamic continues to paint and is currently the Deputy Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation. He lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario with his wife Lucy.

Exhibitions

• 1970: ”Woodland Indian Art Exhibition" at Canada House in London, England
• 1970: “Woodland Indian Art Exhibition”, Lahr, Germany
• 1974: Wynick/Tuck Gallery (before known as Aggregation Gallery), Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Collections

• The Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
• The McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada

Articles

• https://www.umanitoba.ca/schools/art/content/galleryoneoneone/kake.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_K_Co-operative
• https://www.wag.ca/mobile/visit/shop/indigenous-art/paintings/goyce-kakegamic