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Paul Malliki was born in 1956, in an outpost camp near the community of Igloolik. He lived there with his family until he was 10 years old and then moved into the community of Igloolik until he was twenty. He and his family then moved to Naujat (now known as Repulse Bay) to be with his grandmother. Paul still lives there today with his wife and 7 children. Paul did his first carving when he was 5 years old. He learned to carve by watching other people. "Mostly from myself. I've learned most things by hunting. By seeing what's around me. When I hunt animals, I study them. All the animals that are around us." "People always want my work. My father would be away for days hunting and trapping foxes. If I didn't go with him, I would carve to support the family, if I wasn't out hunting myself in the dead of winter." Paul carves many different kinds of animals and faces, but has the most fun with caribou and polar bears. His work can be found in many private and public collections, and is in demand at galleries across North America and Europe. He has had many prestigious commissions, including presentation gifts to Prime Ministers Brian Mulroney and Jean Chretien, and former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson. In 2000, he was commissioned to produce a carving of ptarmigan for the Official Symbols Project for the Legislative Building in Iqaluit, and in 1999, he was 1 of 6 artists who crafted the Mace of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. He was also invited to participate in the sculpting symposium, "Stories in Stone", and has repeatedly been invited to attend the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association's annual Arts Festival. When he is not carving, Paul enjoys working with his dog team, hunting and building things. "Just about everything. I like my life."
For further information on a particular artist, please refer to the following websites.
Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association - Visit the Artists
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada - Artists Directory
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