David Ruben Piqtoukun

1950–

David Ruben Piqtoukun, ᑎᕕᑎ ᐱᑐᑯ ᕈᐱᐃᓐ, (1950– ) is a sculptor born in Paulatuk, Inuvialuit, Northwest Territories. Inuit mythologies are central to David’s practice, allowing him to explore the world of his ancestors while also sharing their stories. David works across a variety of mediums, including stone, bone, antlers, metal, and bronze. His sculptures have a distinct and innovative style that is rooted in tradition. In 2000, David was the first Inuit artist to be appointed to the Sculpture Society of Canada.

For the first five years of his life, David's family lived on the land moving between hunting camps. When he was five years old, he was sent to a residential school, and upon turning 18 he moved to the south. At the age of 22, he was introduced to carving by his brother sculptor Abraham Anghik Ruben. David then taught himself to carve using books on the subject. In 1975, David began collecting oral histories from his parents and elders, and from this point on, his work has been a means to explore his Inuit ancestry.

David’s sculptures have been included in solo and group exhibitions in Canada and abroad, such as Between Two Worlds: Sculpture by David Ruben Piqtoukun on view at the Winnipeg Art Gallery from 1997 to 1998 and New Voices from the New North on view at the National Gallery of Canada in 2013. His work can be found in public collections at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, the Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and the Staatliche Museum für Völkerkunde, Munich, among others.