Inuvialuit sculptor Abraham Anghik Ruben was born in 1951 in Paulatuk, Northwest Territories, into a family of hunters, trappers, and shamans whose lives were deeply intertwined with the seasonal rhythms of the Canadian Western Arctic. His early years were spent in nomadic encampments, where he was raised in a warm environment rooted in Inuit beliefs of reincarnation and reverence for nature. These foundational experiences—ranging from hunting expeditions by dog team to his father’s spiritual connection with the land—shaped a worldview that Ruben now translates into contemporary sculptures and paintings.