Born in 1951 in the Canadian Northwest Territories, Abraham Anghik Ruben grew up on the land surrounded by nature and hearing legends, until he was forced to go to a school located far from his home. After this difficult time, he turned to art to find his roots.
He graduated from the art studies programme at the University of Fairbanks in Alaska, where he acquired professional skills and developed the understanding of how to combine traditional material and techniques with the contemporaneous interpretations of many myths and legends.
Recently Abraham has been interested in the theme migration, especially the relationship between the Inuit and the Vikings. The exhibition: Moving Forward: Breaking Through with his expressive sculptures brings a better understanding of the history of these two cultures, who shared similar points of view.
«As a story teller I have sought to bring life to these ancient voices from a time when these two northern peoples held reverence for the land and for all things therein that provided sustenance and survival» (Abraham Anghik Ruben).
Abraham Anghik Ruben does not see himself as an «Inuit artist», in the usual connotation, rather as a contemporary artist with geographic roots. His works have been exhibited in many museums and galleries, in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Chicago, New York, the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the Smithsonian Institute to name but a few.
The Cerny Inuit Collection is honoured to present his impressive works in his first Solo exhibition in Europe.
The exhibition runs from the 29th of November 2014 until the 28th of February 2015