David Ruben Piqtoukun

David Ruben Piqtoukun (born 1950) is an Inuit artist from Paulatuk, Northwest Territories. His output includes sculpture and prints; the sculptural work is innovative in its use of mixed media. His materials and imagery bring together modern and traditional Inuit stylistic elements in a personal vision. An example of this is his work "The Passage of Time" (1999), which portrays a shaman in the form of a salmon moving through a hole in a hand. While shamanic imagery is common in much of Inuit art, the hand in this work is sheet metal, not a traditional material such as walrus ivory, caribou antler or soapstone. Ruben's brother, Abraham Apakark Anghik Ruben, is also a sculptor. Fellow Inuit artist Floyd Kuptana learned sculpting techniques as an apprentice to David Ruben.

Inuksuk built by David Ruben Piqtoukun in the lobby of the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C.