Since the day her uncle handed her a piece of stone to polish at the age of three, Priscilla Boulay has lived her life surrounded by carving. A third-generation artist hailing from a family of artists in Tuktuuyaqtuq, Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT, Boulay says she creates to keep the legacy of her grandfather, Bobby Taylor-Pokiak (1927–2005), alive. Currently residing in Irricana, AB, Boulay decided to devote herself to making art full time nine years ago and has been working in stone, horn and antler ever since.

For Boulay the creative process begins with an exploration of the shape of an antler, which she uses as the base for many of her pieces. Of the undulating lines of her sculptures Boulay says, “I like the antlers to look as though they are forming the water.” Following the completion of the base, “I try to figure out what I want and where I want the belugas,” she explains. “From there I can see how much stone I’m going to need, so I can start creating the hunter and the kayak.” Her unique forms of windswept muskox, hunting scenes and belugas have gained a following on social media, where the artist shares images of completed works as well as behind-the-scene peeks into her artistic process.

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