First Name: David Ruben

Last Name: Piqtoukun

Full Name: David Ruben Piqtoukun

Name in syllabics:

Alternative Names:

Piqtoukun Piqtoukun
David Ruben Piqtoukun
Ruben Piqtoukun

Date of birth: 1950

Place of birth: Paulatuk, Northwest Territories, Canada

Date of death: N/A

Place of death: N/A

Community / Heritage: Inuit

Sex: Male

Disc Number: W31119

Website: http://www.davidruben.com/

Art Media: Printmaking, sculpture/carving, mixed media, sheet metal, walrus ivory, caribou antler and bone.

Bio:

David Ruben Piqtoukun was born in Paulatuk, Northwest Territories in 1950 to Billy and Bertha Ruben. His parents and 14 siblings lived a traditional nomadic life until 1967, when the family moved into the small community of Paulatuk. From the age of five, Piqtoukun entered into the residential school system. 

Piqtoukun first began to carve at the age of 22, learning from carving books and from his brother, Abraham Anghik Ruben, a sculptor who had studied carving and design at the University of Alaska. Piqtoukun worked on his technique, experimenting and exploring with style and materials.

From 1975, Piqtoukun began to compile ancestral stories from his parents and elders. Using this knowledge, he developed a distinctive, innovative style. He uses metal, stone, ivory, and bone in his work, bringing together modern and traditional Inuit stylistic elements. His works are populated with his personal vision, Inuit mythology, shamanistic transformations and unique abstract forms.

Piqtoukun has been the subject of numerous solo and group exhibitions in Canada and abroad. His works are part of prestigious collections, including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the Staatliche Museum für Völkerkunde in Munich, Germany, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Canada.

In 2000, he was the first Inuit artist to be appointed to the Sculpture Society of Canada.

Piqtoukun works and resides in Ontario, Canada.

Articles:

·       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ruben_Piqtoukun

·       https://www.cbc.ca/arts/david-ruben-piqtoukun-through-stone-carving-i-learned-a-lot-about-my-people-1.4483113

·       https://www.cookcountynews-herald.com/articles/inuit-sculptor-david-ruben-piqtoukun-to-visit/

·       https://www.northumberlandnews.com/whatson-story/9610053-inuit-artist-donates-three-sculptures-to-colborne-ps/

Exhibitions:

·       1973: “David Ruben Piqtoukun”, Artic Arts Ltd., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

·       1974: “British Columbia Nephrite Jade Show”, Dallas Trade Show, Dallas, Texas, USA

·       1974: “David Ruben Piqtoukun”, Family Hall, Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

·       1975: “International Group Show”, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       1977: Group Exhibition, Brackendale Art Gallery, Brackendale, British Columbia, Canada

·       1979: “Sculpture of the Inuit: Masterwork Exhibitors of the Canadian Arctic”, Inuit Art Gallery of Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       1979 - 1980: “Inuit Art in the 1970’s”, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

·       1980: “Inuit Master Artists of the 1970’s”, Inuit Art Gallery of Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       1981: “The Inuit Sea Goddess”, Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

·       1982: “Works by Abraham Anghik, David Ruben Piqtoukun, and Stefanie Ham”, Gallery Quan, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       1983: “The Face of the Inuit”, The Inuit Gallery of Eskimo Art, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       1984: “The Oral Tradition”, Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·       1984 - 1986: “Arctic Vision: Art of the Canadian Inuit”, Department of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development and Canadian Arctic Producers, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·       1985 - 1986: “Sanaugasi Takujaksat: A Travelling Celebration of Inuit Sculpture”, Canadian Arctic Producers with Indigenous and Northern Affairs, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·       1986: “David Ruben Piqtoukun”, Expo 1986, Northwest Territories Pavillion, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       1986: “Die Kunst aus der Arktis”, Inuit Galerie, Mannheim, Germany

·       1987: “Paulatuk: Mythology in Stone and Photographs”, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

·       1988: “The Storytellers: Sculptures by David Ruben Piqtoukun / Photographs by Tom Skudra”, Koffler Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       1989: “Out of Tradition: Abraham Anghik/David Ruben Piqtoukun”, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

·       1989: “Masters of the Arctic: An Exhibition of Contemporary Inuit Masterworks”, UN General Assembly, New York, NY, USA

·       1989: “The Great Northern Arts Festival”, Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

·       1990: “Arctic Mirror”, Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

·       1991: “Masters of Myth”, Art Space Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

·       1991: “Granville Island Canadian Inuit Sculpture, Second Exhibition”, Vancouver Inuit Art Society, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       1991: “Visions of Power: Contemporary Art by First Nations, Inuit, and Japanese Canadians”, The Earth Spirit Festival, Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       1992: “Images of Influence: Contemporary Inuit Art”, Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

·       1992: “New Territories: 350/500 Years After: An Exhibition of Contemporary Aboriginal Art”, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

·       1992 - 1993: “Borealis: Inuit Images of Man and Animals”, Freeport Art Museum and Cultural Centre, Freeport, Illinois, USA

·       1993: “Multiple Realities: Inuit Images of Shamanistic Transformation”, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

·       1993 - 1994: “The Inuit Imagination”, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

·       1994: “Kanuitpit? Kunst und Kulturen der Eskimo: Eine Auswahl aus den Museumssammlungen”, Museum Fünf Kontinente, Munich, Germany

·       1994: “Sculpture of the Inuit: Major Works by the Masters of Stone”, Maslak McLeod Canadian Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

·       1995: “Immaginario Inuit: Arte e cultura degli esquimesi canadesi”, Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Conteporanea, Verona, Italy

·       1995: “Keeping Our Stories Alive: An Exhibition of the Art and Crafts of Dene and Inuit of Canada”, Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

·       1995: “The Next Generation”, Orca Aart Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, USA

·       1996: “New Visions”, Spirit Wrestler Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       1997: “Nunavut/Nunavik: Sculpture in the Time of Change”, Spirit Wrestler Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       1997: “Nunavut/Nunavik: Sculpture in the Time of Change”, Spirit Wrestler Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       1997: “Transitions: Contemporary Canadian Indian and Inuit Art”, Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development with International Trade, Canada, Paris, France

·       1997: “Stone & Bone: The Inuit Master Carvers of the Canadian Arctic”, The Northwest Company, at the Sun Valley Centre for the Arts & Humanities, Ketchum, Illinois, USA

·       1997 - 1998: “Between Two Worlds: Sculpture by David Ruben Piqtoukun”, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

·       1998: “The Shaman Never Dies”, Gallerie d'Art Vincent, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·       1999: “David Ruben Sculpture: From the Fragments New Talent Flows”, Arctic Artistry Inc, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, NY, USA

·       1999: “New Century”, New Vision, Art Space Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, USA

·       2000: “Contemporary Age of Bronze and Stone”, Canadian Sculpture Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2000: “Sculpture 2000”, Sculptors Society of Canada, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2000: “Not Just Moose”,  Sculptors Society of Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2000: “Mix Sculpture 3”, Canadian Sculpture Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2000: “New Members '99”, Canadian Sculpture Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2000: “Urban Inuit”, Inuit Art Centre; Indigenous and Northern Affairs, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·       2001: “Annual Members Show, Sculpture Society of Canada”, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2008 - 2009: “Transformations: Inuit Sculptures from the Collection”, Harnett Print Study Center, University Of Richmond Museums, Richmond, Virginia, USA

·       2011: “Inuit Modern: The Samuel and Esther Sarick Collection”, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2013: “New Voices from the New North”, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·       2015: “Human Nature”, Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·       2016: “Rock, Paper, Scissors”, Art Gallery of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

·       2016: “Qua’yuk tchi’gae’win: Making Good”, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Awards:

·       1986: Carved an Inukshuk for the first Native Business Summit at the Toronto Convention Centre

·       1989: Appointed to UNESCO's Canadian Committee for the World Decade of Cultural Development

·       2000: Appointed to the Sculptors Society of Canada

Collections:

·       National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 

·       Inuit Cultural Institute, Arviat, Nunavut, Canada 

·       Indigenous Art Collection at Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada 

·       McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada 

·       Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada 

·       City of Ottawa Art Collection, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 

·       Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 

·       Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 

·       Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada 

·       Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

·       Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada 

·       Museum Fünf Kontinente, Munich, Germany

Exhibitions

• Arctic Mirror, Canadian Museum of Civilization
• Arctic Vision: Art of the Canadian Inuit, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Canadian Arctic Producers
• Between Two Worlds:Sculpture By David Ruben Piqtoukun, Winnipeg Art Gallery
• Borealis: Inuit Images of Man and Animals, Freeport Art Museum and Cultural Centre
• British Columbia Nephrite Jade Show, Dallas Trade Show
• David Ruben Piqtoukun, Arctic Arts Ltd.
• David Ruben Piqtoukun, Gallery of British Columbia Arts
• David Ruben Piqtoukun, Expo 1986 Northwest Territories Pavilion
• David Ruben Piqtoukun, Family Hall
• Die Kunst aus der Arktis, presented by Inuit Galerie
• Granville Island Canadian Inuit Sculpture Exhibition (second exhibition), Vancouver Inuit Art Society
• Group Exhibition, Brackendale Art Gallery
• Images of Influence: Contemporary Inuit Art, Surrey Art Gallery
• Immaginario Inuit Arte e cultura degli esquimesi canadesi, Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea
• International Group Show, Vancouver Art Gallery
• Inuit Art in the 1970s, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre
• Inuit Master Artists of the 1970s, Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
• Kanuitpit? Kunst und Kulturen der Eskimo: Eine Auswahl aus den Museumssammlungen, Staatliches Museum fur Volkerkunde Munchen
• Keeping Our Stories Alive: An Exhibition of the Art and Crafts from Dene and Inuit of Canada, Institute of American Indian Arts Museum
• Masters of Myth, Art Space Gallery
• Masters of the Arctic: An Exhibition of Contemporary Inuit Masterworks, Presented by the Amway Corporation at the United Nations General Assembly
• Multiple Realities: Inuit Images of Shamanic Transformation, Winnipeg Art Gallery
• New Beginnings: a celebration of Native expression at the first Native Business Summit, Metro Toronto Convention Centre
• Nouveau Territoires... 350/500 Ans Apres, Presented at les maisons de la culture Cote-des-Neiges, Notre-Dame- de-Grace, and Rosemont-Petite Patrie, Montreal Recreation and Community Development Service and les Ateliers Visions Planetaire
• Out of Tradition: Abraham Anghik/David Ruben Piqtoukun, Winnipeg Art Gallery
• Paulatuk: Mythology in Stone and Photographs, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
• Sanaugasi Takujaksat: A Travelling Celebration of Inuit Sculpture, Presented by Canadian Arctic Producers Ltd., with the assistance of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Ottawa
• Sculpture of the Inuit: Major Works by the Masters of Stone, Maslak McLeod Canadian Art
• Sculpture of the Inuit: Masterwork Exhibitors of the Canadian Arctic, Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
• The Face of the Inuit, The Innuit Gallery of Eskimo Art
• The Great Northern Arts Festival, held in Inuvik
• The Inuit Imagination, Winnipeg Art Gallery
• The Inuit Sea Goddess, Surrey Art Gallery, (organized to complement the Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal exhibit of the same name)
• The Next Generation, Orca Aart Gallery
• The Oral Tradition, National Museum of Man
• The Storytellers: Sculptures by David Ruben Piqtoukun, Photographs by Tom Skudra, The Koffler Gallery
• Visions of Power, presented by the Earth Spirit Festival at York Quay Gallery and Leo Kamen Gallery
• Works by Abraham Anghik, David Ruben Piqtoukun and Stefanie Ham, Gallery Quan

Collections

• Amway Environmental Foundation Collection, Ada
• Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
• Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull
• Confederation Centre of the Arts, Charlottetown
• Inuit Cultural Institute, Rankin Inlet
• Klamer Family Collection, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
• McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg
• Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
• Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife
• Staatliche Museum fur Volkerkunde, Munich
• University of Alberta, Edmonton
• Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg