At the age of nine, he was making ivory jewelry, selling it to his co-op in Pond Inlet "for some quick cash."

For the past three years he's been going through Nunavut Arctic College's two-year jewelry and metalwork program -- "I recommend it for anybody that's into the arts," he said -- which he completed with an extra semester in April 1997.

For the past year, his business, Kamagiaq Jewelry, has been nestled in the fairly new Parnaivik building in Iqaluit.

Watching him work on one of his pieces is intriguing. He's got many projects under way, but comes back to one he favors, a metal jewelry box garnished with a smooth mask-shaped ivory face with a neutral smile he's carved.

It's an original and genuine work of art. It will retail for around $1,300, he says.

Komangapik pulls out an envelope filled with pink coral from Rome and shakes it onto a round plastic lid for all to see. His plans are for a necklace when he can get around to it.

"Grandma got it. My mom is from Germany -- born right after the war. My dad is Inuit. I was conceived in Pond (Inlet) and born in Iqaluit. His parents split up when he was younger."

"I'm the only kid in my family and I have an adopted sister. My father's family is really big, I have hundreds of cousins."

He pulls out another envelope and shimmies out an emerald-cut amethyst, which he has carefully cut himself.

There are other stones he pulls out from beneath his desk -- stones he's polished -- turquoise and tiger's eye.

"I like to do things different from other artists. I work with ivory a lot."

"I do from low- (regular) quality to high-quality stuff. The reason I do low-quality is I have to make a living. I would like to do high-quality and custom stuff all the time," he says.

He's very serious about his craft and plans to continue some time in the future with a bachelor's degree in jewelry and metalwork in New Brunswick or Toronto -- "but I hate living in the big city." He wants to learn more about silversmithing.

In the past, the young jeweller lived in Arctic Bay, Clyde River and St. Catharines, Ont., where he attended Wrigley College.

"Wrigley College was a private school. It got me fluent in my English and got me used to a fork and knife -- I was used to frozen food on the floor -- and eat it." His first language is Inuktitut.

He derives personal satisfaction from his work.

"It's great when I'm not in a rush -- when I'm doing it for myself, that's when I appreciate it the most. It's like graduating every time you finish a piece."

"The secret to being an artist is you have to work no matter what your feelings are. It takes me away from my family and friends -- makes me lonesome sometimes. I hate when I'm not done at a certain time. My customers are my boss."

"I help other artists too. I answer their questions when I can and I buy art from other people."

"The Kakivak Association helped a lot."

The craftsman received a grant and loan from Kakivak, a loan from the Baffin Business Development Corp. and a grant from Economic Development.

Kakivak helps businesses that are just starting out, he says. "They helped in funding and with accounting. They have good advisors."

"I'm now working on a 10-karat gold ring with two diamonds and baleen in between the diamonds. She (the client) wanted something unique," he says of his customer.

Another piece is a bracelet of two snake heads that meet in the centre -- with two narwhal.

There are carvings in his store, too. He only wants to display quality items.

One of his finer works is a silver headpiece he made for his girlfriend. It has beadwork dangling down the side and he drapes it over his magnifier to keep him company as he goes back to polishing his ivory jewelry box.