This artist makes sculptures using a wild — literally — medium: prehistoric mammoth ivory

Richard Marcus' passion for a career as a sculptor began early in life at the age of 17. Self-taught, he works in stone, exotic woods, clay, bronze and prehistoric mammoth ivory, which is found in permafrost regions of northern Canada, Alaska and Siberia. Featured in notable public exhibitions, he has gained acclaim for his striking works of art utilizing rare and exotic materials.

Although ivory might make you think of illegal elephant tusks, mammoth tusks are both legal and abundant — an estimated 150 million mammoths are frozen in Siberian permafrost. And for Marcus, mammoth ivory offers him the perfect medium.

If elephant ivory was conscience-free and legal, I would still prefer this material over that.- Richard Marcus

From royalty to prestigious private collections, Marcus' sculptures are housed on every continent. Two works sit in public museums: Torso at the Medical Museum of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Purple Heart Fan at the Hauff Museum, Baden-Wurttenberg, Germany.

As a prolific artist, Marcus continues to produce new and exciting creations that allow for the exquisite beauty of prehistoric mammoth ivory to be viewed in all its glory. Residing in Vancouver, B.C., Richard Marcus is currently the president of the Sculptors' Society of B.C.

Art Minute is a new CBC Arts series taking you inside the minds of Canadian artists to hear what makes them tick and the ideas behind their work.