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 contact:
Clarence & Valerie Kapay
Box 3279
Banff Alberta T1L 1C9
Phone: (403) 760-2593 email: ckapay@telus.net
Copyright © 2001 Clarence Kapay, All Rights Reserved.
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