Pootoogook Jaw was born in 1959. His father Joe Jaw is a famous carver and his mother Melia Jaw is also an artist. Pootoogook and his brothers were all taught to carve by their father. Jaw is known for working with a variety of different materials. He changes his technique and style based on what material he uses. Carvings made from harder stone are more simplistic, due to the difficulty in representing detail on a harder surface. On the contrary, his works in softer stone can be quite intricate. Jaw often uses marble when depicting animals. His recent work explores themes of contemporary Inuit life.

In 1998, Jaw started a carving program through the Nunavut Training Company to mentor younger carvers. He preaches patience to new carvers allowing them to take the time to explore their practice and develop their skills. 

His work has been exhibited both in Canada and internationally, and has been collected by the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Exhibitions

• Arctic Ice: Sculptures in Marble by the Artists of Cape Dorset, Northwest Territories, Marion Scott Gallery
• Inspiration Four Decades of Sculpture, Marion Scott Gallery
• Inuit Masterworks, Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
• Inuit Mythology, Arctic Experience
• Keeping Our Stories Alive: An Exhibition of the Art and Crafts from Dene and Inuit of Canada, Institute of American Indian Arts Museum
• Our Hoods Are Full, Arctic Artistry

Collections

• Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver