Kiona - or Kiwi, as her family calls her - grew up living with her moshom (grandpa) and a revolving door of relatives on scrip land. Affectionately called "the farm", Kiwi shares a small portion of her home- a spot where she played with her cousins, daydreamed about her future, listened to her families' stories across generations, and learned about the complexities of heartbreak.
In We Were Younger Once, artist Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet follows a non-linear series of mini memories of growing up as a dirt kid on the prairies, the wistfulness of leaving home, and the visits that will always bring her back."

Kiona Callihoo-Ligtvoet's profile page

Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet (she/her) is an artist of Cree, Metis, and Dutch-settler descent, with family coming from Michel First Nation. Kiona grew up on scrip land with her moshom, and is currently practicing in amiskwaciwaskahikan, where she primarily works in painting and printmaking while exploring stories of grief and tenderness. Her practice uses a non-linear telling of memories through stories as a form of personal archiving. It draws from feelings of loss, displacement, and enfranchisement, but also from moments of deep belly laughter.
Paired with her studio practice, Kiona has also been working alongside other artists in initiatives of community care, co-organizing Making Space. Making Space is a visual-arts focused BIPOC peer mentorship group prioritizing collaboration through workshops, artist visits, studio hangouts, and a shared love of gossip, support, and privacy.Kiona likes gossiping in prairie grasses and visiting her moshom on the farm (though she herself is not a very good farmer).