Markoosie Papigatok

Markosie Papigatok (born in 1976) started carving as a teenager and he sold his first carving (a seal) for $2.00. His parents, Tayarak Papigatuk and Kumaajuk Tunnillie, and as well his grand-parents Qavaroak Tunnillie and Tayaraq Pee were all accomplished carvers in (Kinngait) Cape Dorset. Like traditional education way among Inuit, he learned how to carve by his own watching his uncle Ashevak Tunnillie, great-master carver well-known for his large scale walking polar bears.

Markosie Papigatok is a prolific artist and often carves small-scale sculpture made out of serpentine using both power and tools. He likes the speed of grinding with a power grinder. He depicts a variety of subject matter with exquisite details and especially likes to depict animals in his work. Mid-size dancing bears are his favourite theme which he treats in movement with a characteristic roundness and softness for our best pleasure. His work has been regularly exhibited since the 1900s in Canada, United States, Germany, and Switzerland.