Johnny Papigatok was born on January 28, 1989, in Cape Dorset, into a family with a strong artistic heritage. His late grandfather, Kububuwa Tunnillie, was a renowned artist, and his uncle, Ashevak Tunnillie, is a well-known contemporary carver. His mother, Komajuk Tunnillie, and grandmother, Tayara Tunnillie, are also skilled carvers.
While his uncle Ashevak and his brother, Markoosie Papigatok, have had an impact on his artistic style, Johnny's work is developing a distinctive approach. Primarily self-taught, he prefers using hand tools and working on a smaller scale. Johnny produces a range of subjects, including detailed figurative works and scenes of camp life, with a particular fondness for depicting Arctic wildlife.
