A master sculptor and painter originally from Tuktoyaktuk, on the shores of the Beaufort Sea, Bill has been creating works of art since he was a child. His paintings and sculptures share common themes, including interpretations of his Inuvialuit background and culture, the mythology and legends of his people, and the relationship between land and wildlife. Bill has been influenced by his traditional upbringing with his family, spending long periods of time on the land, and listening to the legends and stories of his people. Bill's work is in collections throughout North America and Europe. Following his work on the Commemorative Sculpture, he will be featured in a Canada/ U.S. museum show in 1999. Bill currently lives and works in Yellowknife. Bill is the team director of the Commemorative Sculpture.---------------This interview is with Bill Nasogaluak, a full-time sculptor and painter originally from Tuktoyaktuk and now lining in Yellowknife. His work has been shown in exhibitions in Canada, the United States and Greenland. In 1999, he was one of three artists chosen to create the mace of the legislative assembly of the Northwest Territories. He bases most of his art on the culture and stories of the Inuvialuit, such as the shaman Gooblualooq. He enjoys sculpting the human form and prefers to create large-scale works. He says that when he first started making art, galleries in the western Arctic would only buy work from co-ops. Now they deal with artists directly. He would like to see more public art in the North and more support for the arts by Inuit politicians.----------

Exhibitions

• Inuit and Inuvialuk Sculptures and Prints by Bill Nasogaluak and Elisha Sanguya, Art Mode Gallery
• The Shaman's Drum - Echoes of the Past, Images of the North