Floyd Kuptana facts for kids

Floyd Kuptana (1964-2021) was a talented Inuvialuit artist from Canada. He was known for his amazing stone carvings, but he also created beautiful paintings and collages.

Modern Inuit art became popular in the second half of the 1900s. This was when Indigenous people in the Canadian Arctic started living in settled communities around the late 1940s. As more artists began creating, the Canadian government helped promote stone carving and other art forms. Because of this, modern Inuit art became very popular in Canada and around the world.

About Floyd Kuptana's Life

Kuptana was born in 1964 near Cape Parry, Northwest Territories, Canada. His family later moved to a place called Paulatuk. He started his art journey by helping his cousins, Francis and Abraham Anghik Ruben, prepare their carvings. He would sand and polish them.

Later, he became a student (or apprentice) of David Ruben Piqtukun. David was the older brother of Francis and Abraham. Floyd learned a lot from him. In 1992, Floyd started creating his own art. He lived in Toronto until he passed away in 2021. Floyd's brother, Robert Kuptana, is also a carver.

Kuptana's Unique Art Style

Floyd Kuptana's sculptures were often made from soapstone and other types of stone. His carvings often mixed animal and human shapes. He frequently showed "transformation" in his art, where one form changes into another.

Sometimes his art looked a bit unusual or "grotesque." He often featured Sedna, who is the Inuit goddess of the sea and sea animals. His artwork was inspired by both the traditional Inuit religion and his own life experiences.

Exploring New Art Forms

In the late 2000s, Floyd Kuptana connected with Gallery Arcturus. This is an art museum and education center in Toronto. After this, he started working with paint. He would paint animals in bright colors on different materials. At first, he used things he found, like wood. Later, he painted on art board and canvas.

Floyd also created art using collage (sticking different materials together) and pastels. Some of his art was sold through art galleries. However, he sold most of his pieces directly to people who collected art. His works are now in private collections in Canada, the United States, and other countries.

Where to See Kuptana's Art

A special piece called "Self-portrait by Floyd Kuptana" was bought by Library and Archives Canada in 2007. It was shown in an exhibit at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary in 2018.

The Winnipeg Art Gallery has a collection called Qaumajuq that focuses on northern art. They have a work by Kuptana called "Untitled (Skull), 2000." This piece was given to the gallery by the Eric Sprott Family.

Another stone sculpture, "Seal Transformation," from 2001, is in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario. This piece also includes antler and steel.

Many of Kuptana's works are part of the permanent collection at Gallery Arcturus in Toronto. In 2018, a special space was made on the second floor of the gallery to show his art. This included pieces he made with other artists. In 2022, a large show of his work started at Gallery Arcturus. This show included many big pieces he created with his former art partner, Jean Paul Albert.

Floyd Kuptana passed away in Toronto on May 25, 2021.

Art Exhibitions

Floyd Kuptana's art has been shown in many exhibitions:

• "STILL WITH US / from another world / Daniel meets Floyd" at Gallery Arcturus, Toronto, from May 27, 2022, to the present.
• "The Artist's Mirror: Self Portraits" at the Glenbow Museum, Calgary, from March 10, 2018, to January 6, 2019.
• "Sedna lamenting the loss of sea ice" at "Linked" at the Oceanographic Museum, Monaco, from November 29, 2015, to February 29, 2016.
• "Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 3" was a traveling exhibit from The Museum of Arts and Design, New York City, from June 26 to October 21, 2012.
• "Floyd Kuptana ... sculpted from stone and spirit" at Gallery Arcturus, Toronto, from September 27 to November 12, 2011.
• "In the Shadow of the Midnight Sun" at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, from May 23 to August 17, 2008.
• "Inuit Sculpture Now" at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, from June 30 to November 18, 2007. It was also shown at the McMichael Collection, Ontario, Canada, from July 7 to September 4, 2006.