COUZYN VAN HEUVELEN
(B. 1987, Iqualuit, NU; Inuk)
Couzyn van Heuvelen is a Canadian Inuk sculptor and installation artist. Born in Iqaluit, Nunavut and now based in Southern Ontario, van Heuvelen's artistic practice explores Inuit culture and identity, new and old technologies, and personal narratives. While rooted in the history and traditions of Inuit art, the work strays from established Inuit art-making methods and explores a range of fabrication processes. His work fuses Inuit art history and traditions with contemporary materials and technologies, as seen in his recent series Fishing Lures, which includes materials like silver and brass as well as muskox horn and baleen.
Van Heuvelen received his BFA from York University in Toronto, ON, and his MFA from NSCADU in Halifax, NS. His work has been included in several group exhibitions across Canada. In September 2017 van Heuvelen created a public art installation at the Southway Inn in Ottawa, ON, as part of the Lost Stories Project. Van Heuvelen has received many major scholarships and awards. Chosen as the Sheridan College Temporary Contemporary Artist in Residence, van Heuvelen's Nitsiit (2017) was featured in the Creativity Commons of Sheridan's Hazel McCallion Campus in Mississauga. In April 2018, he was longlisted for the Sobey Art Award.
