KANGIQLINIQ/RANKIN INLET - Carver Pierre Aupilardjuk of Rankin Inlet put in a long day's work last week chipping away at chunks of soapstone.

He wasn't in his studio creating the polar bears, seals or kayaks he's known for.

Rankin Inlet resident Pierre Aupilardjuk often creates ceramics that share stories told to him by his father, artist Mariano Aupilardjuk. - photo courtesy of Matchbox Gallery

He was off the shore of Fallstaff Island gathering soapstone that can only be reached during low tide.

"When it's low tide you can go right to the island by ATV and before it gets high tide you can finish what you want," he explained, shortly after returning home from his labour.

He has to dig through mud and gravel to reach the dark grey and green soapstone that hides below the surface.

He only took small pieces last week, but last summer he gathered as much as 500 pounds of stone for his art.

"Most of the time I use hand tools but sometimes I use the power tools when I need it," he said.

Aupilardjuk is also recognized for his ceramic art. He has participated in ceramics presentations around the world, including two appearances in Reykikic, Iceland, and at the Greenland Arts Festival in Nuuk, where he demonstrated his handbuilding technique.

He was a program director and developer for the Matchbox Gallery's ceramics and drawing programs for intellectually disabled clients of the Taparti Centre in Rankin.

"I learned from my father," he said.

"I try to create the stories that he told me. Some of them come from my thoughts.

"There is a piece with faces all over. That one is called The People of Nunavut.

"They are talking about Nunavut - how it's going to be in the future. Some people are thinking it's not right. It's no good.

"And some people are thinking it's good for the children.

"That was the meaning of that piece. That was in 1999 or 2000."

Aupilardjuk's work appears in the Cerny Inuit Collection in Bern Switzerland and at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife, NWT, as well as in private collections around the world.

In addition to creating art, he is also a skilled hunter who has spent a lot of time on the land.

Next month, Aupilardjuk will teach a ceramics course at the Matchbox Gallery.

Originally from Repulse Bay, Aupilardjuk has lived in Rankin since 1999.