Kingwatsiak (King) Jaw (1962–2012) was an Inuk sculptor from Kinngait.

Early life

He was born on March 20, 1962, in Keatuk,

Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...

. His parents, Melia Jaw (1934–2006) and Joe Jaw were also carvers, as were his brothers (Mathew Saviadjuk, Pootoogook Jaw, and Salomonie Jaw). King began carving as a child, but did not do so professionally until his early thirties.

Career

In his early thirties, when King began carving, he was also working as a carpenter and an industrial mechanic at the Nanasivik Mine. Many of his sculptures depict the bears, as well as the sea goddess Sedna. Jaw's work is held in several museums, including the

Penn Museum The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology—commonly known as the Penn Museum—is an archaeology and anthropology museum at the University of Pennsylvania. It is located on Penn's campus in the University City neighb ...

, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and the Museum Collections at the University of Delaware.

References

1962 births 2012 deaths People from Kinngait Artists from Nunavut Inuit sculptors 20th-century Canadian sculptors Inuit from Nunavut Canadian male sculptors 20th-century Canadian male artists {{Canada-sculptor-stub