A year after the passing of the artist Floyd Kuptana, Gallery Arcturus is showcasing his work as part of a current exhibit.
“This series of exhibitions is a memorial and a retrospective of work by our dear friend and master sculptor Floyd Kuptana who passed away in May 2021,” gallery curator Deborah Harris said in a press release.
Born in 1964 in Cape Parry, Northwest Territories, Kuptana focused mainly on creature-based works of art. He liked to incorporate whale bones, horse hair and other natural materials in his artwork.
Video producer and co-ordinator Eron Boyd of the Gallery Arcturus has many memories of Kuptana and his inspirations, noting he learned stonework from his cousin in their village of about 200 people.
“As for the painting, this came about one time years ago when he came in with a sculpture — very beautiful — and Deborah loved it, so she sketched it, and he went, ‘Hmmm’,” Boyd said.
“Next day he stumbles in with a big piece of board that he ripped off from his coffee table with a nail still in it. It’s up there. It’s actually a very good piece,” said Boyd.
The exhibition of Kuptana’s work began in June of this year and is continuing through the year.
“Most of the titles of any piece, if you run across his work out there, are usually by other people and he might agree — he wouldn’t disagree with the name,” said Ed Drass communications manager of the gallery and friend of Kuptana’s. “But, honestly, most of his pieces should be called ‘Untitled’.”
Admission to view the art in the exhibit is free Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 5:30 p.m.