Born in 1956 near Igloolik, Paul Quviq Malliki belongs to a rare group of carvers whose authority begins in lived knowledge. Raised on the land, he knew Arctic animals through daily life before he rendered them in stone, and that experience gives his sculpture its conviction. Malliki began carving as a child and, largely self-taught, learned by watching others and studying form with much patience. In his polar bears especially, his close study of animal form is matched by a master carver’s assurance, yielding sculptures of uncommon presence and credibility.

The present lot brings these qualities to full advantage. Carved in white marble, veined with grey and rust-orange, the stone itself suggests the variation of the bear’s coat, as though colour and form have met by instinct. Malliki renders the bear with a sure sense of structure and movement, catching its long, deliberate advance across frozen ground, with its dark stone inlaid nose raised to test the air. Tiny black claws sharpen each paw with a delicate finish, while inlaid pads and toes, concealed in its upright stance, reveal themselves only to those with a most attentive eye.

Most memorable, perhaps, is the sense of intent Malliki gives the bear. Beyond the raised, scenting nose, the neck is modelled with a convincing tension through the musculature, suggesting both alertness and forward momentum. The ears, too, seem slightly pricked, sharpening the impression that the animal has caught something on the air. It is easy to imagine that whatever has drawn this bear’s attention is close at hand.

References: For other fine Polar Bears by the artist, see First Arts, 9 June 2025, Lot 40 and 30 November 2021, Lot 121