Baskets by Kenny Keezer

2 3/8 diam x 3

Kenny Keezer, Passamaquoddy, is the son of renowned basket maker Clara Neptune Keezer.

Clara Neptune Keezer (1930-2016), was an award-winning Passamaquoddy basketmaker who received a National Heritage Fellowship Award from the National Endowment for the Arts. She was a celebrated figure in the art world, known for her exquisite craftsmanship and preservation of traditional methods.

Many members of his family, including his brother, Rocky; aunts, Angela Barnes and Theresa Neptune Gardner; his uncle, Peter Neptune; and his cousin, Debbie Nicholas, are renowned Passamaquoddy basketmakers.

Kenny continues his family legacy, creating intricate and finely woven baskets that reflect the cultural heritage of the Passamaquoddy people.

Kenny lives at Sipayik (Pleasant Point) and has been weaving baskets since 1997. Kenny’s work, like his mother’s, emphasizes the use of natural materials such as brown ash and sweetgrass, staples in Wabanaki basketry. Many of Kenny’s basket-making tools have been passed down for generations—the blocks and forms that baskets are woven over, splint gauges, and splitters.