Kaylyn Baker is a proud Northern Tutchone and Tlingit woman from the Yukon. A member of the Raven Clan and a citizen of Selkirk First Nation, Kaylyn now calls Whitehorse home. Kaylyn developed an early interest in the visual arts including painting, photography, and pottery. When her mother, Charlene Baker, was a student at Emily Carr University and the University of Alaska Southeast, Kaylyn attended classes with her and occasionally participated. These experiences enriched her understanding of different visual art mediums.
Today, Kaylyn is an avid beader, using a variety of materials and textiles, and drawing on the principals of visual art to create her own designs. In addition to making jewellery, Kaylyn’s beadwork adorns garments and accessories, including mukluks, moccasins, and purses. Beading allows Kaylyn to connect with her ancestors—her mother, grandmothers, and great grandmothers all beaded—as well as with her peers and her children. Beading is a form of storytelling, a way to pass along traditions and knowledge to future generations. In addition to showing her kids the good things that come from following their dreams, Kaylyn hopes through her beadwork and sharing her sewing skills to inspire other Indigenous people who may have lost touch with their traditions as a result of residential school.
- Courtesy of EntrepreNorth