Maureen Gruben, b. 1963, is a Canadian Inuvialuk artist who works in sculpture, installation and public art. In her practice, polar bear fur, beluga intestines and seal skins encounter resins, vinyl, bubble wrap and metallic tape, forging critical links between life in the Western Canadian Arctic and global environmental and cultural concerns. Gruben was born and raised in Tuktoyaktuk, where her parents were traditional knowledge keepers and founders of E. Gruben’s Transport. She holds a BFA from the University of Victoria and has exhibited regularly across Canada and internationally. She was longlisted for the 2019 Aesthetica Art Prize and the 2021 Sobey Art Prize, and her work is held in national and private collections.

Seal In Our Blood
Harp seal skin, red velvet, thread,
length 9600 mm, 25 mm in diameter, 2018
Installation view at Libby Leshgold Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
(Courtesy of the artist © Maureen Gruben)
Photos: Kyra Kordoski

Aidainnaqduammi
Video, 03:58 min., 2020

Aidainnaqduammi, Aurora
Photo by Kyra Kordoski, print on aluminium, 1200 x 800 mm, 2020

Aidainnaqduammi, Morning
Photo by Kyra Kordoski, print on aluminium, 1200 x 800 mm, 2020

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Maureen Gruben
Photo: Kyra Kordoski

Aidainnaqduammi, aurora

Aidainnaqduammi, morning

Seal in our blood
Photo: Kyra Kordoski

Seal in our blood, detail
Photo: Kyra Kordoski