Auni Milne
stop no. 2
Auni is a painter and sculptor whose work looks at how we connect to the natural world; and explores the animals living among us, around us, and inside us. She studied visual arts at OCAD and then at the École Nationale Supériere des Beaux-Arts in Bourges, France.
Auni grew up in a family that traveled in a Volkswagen bus in which they often lived for days or weeks (and once even months) at a time. Auni, her brother and sister played imagination games and drew copiously. As she moved into adulthood, her confidence in her art waned. For many years all her creativity went into her professional life as a graphic designer. When Auni moved to the forests of Lanark County in 2009, she began working on her art again, becoming fascinated by the intersection between human and animal, and what it means to be both.
Auni started sculpting over the course of the covid pandemic, starting out by taking an online course on how to make small bird sculptures out of air dry clay. After finding a more natural self-hardening clay, Auni eventually took two week-long workshops with an established local sculptor, where she discovered the intense pleasure of working with ceramic clay and creating fired pieces. She recently purchased a kiln so we can expect to see more of this work in the future!
“I explore the surface beauty and the depths beneath; the self at the heart of all we animals, and how we connect with the natural world. I look for intriguing qualities: a quirky moment, a singular atmosphere, the offbeat, or an engaging composition.”
Crown and Pumpkin 