DAVID RUBEN PIQTOUKUN (1950-) PAULATUK / ONTARIO
Muskox Shaman, 2000
stone and antler, 6.5 x 13 x 6 in (16.5 x 33 x 15.2 cm), measurements reflect dimensions with inset horns, without: 6.5 x 12 x 4.75 in (16.5 x 30.5 x 12.1 cm)
signed and dated, "DAVID RUBEN PIQTOUKUN / 2000".

Provenance
Canadian Guild of Crafts, Toronto;
Private Collection, Toronto.

The contrast between smooth, undulating lines and sharp, straight ones makes this sculpture by David Ruben Piqtoukun compelling, graceful, and abstract all at once. The face is typical of Ruben’s style: elongated and nearly triangular (reminiscent of a mask), with tiny inlaid eyes, striped cheeks that suggest traditional tattoos, and pursed lips. Atop of the head balances a stylized, incredibly slender, and only slightly bowed piece of antler that sits horizontally - a very modern play on the muskox horn which is characteristically curvaceous. The curves, in contrast, appear in the dramatically sculpted body of Muskox Shaman, with powerful legs that taper to small points. All these elements come together in a skillful melding of Inuit traditions with a modernist sensibility.

References: For early career works by the artist see Darlene Wight, Out of Tradition: Abraham Anghik / David Ruben Piqtoukun, (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1989). For 1990s works see Darlene Coward Wight, Between Two Worlds: Sculpture by David Ruben Piqtoukun, (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1996). For more recent works see David Shultz, “Dealer’s Choice: David Ruben Piqtoukun” in Inuit Art Quarterly, (Vol. 18, No. 4, Winter 2003), pp. 22-25; Sonia Gunderson, “David Ruben Piqtoukun: In Search of a Softer Wind” in Inuit Art Quarterly, (Vol. 22, No. 1, Spring 2007), pp. 28-35.