Anita Aarons

Anita Aarons was a versatile and prolific artist who worked in various media and countries. She was born in Sydney in 1912 and studied at the East Sydney Technical College and the National Art School. She moved to New York City in 1964, where she graduated from Columbia University with a Master of Fine Arts degree. She exhibited her work in the United States, Canada, and Australia, and received several awards and commissions. She taught sculpture and crafts at various institutions, including the Ontario College of Art and Design, and was a critic for the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's Journal RAIC. She also designed stained glass windows, furniture, and jewellery, and was involved in arts administration and advocacy. She was known for her abstract sculptures in metal, wood, stone, and clay, as well as her tapestry murals and play sculptures for children. She was influenced by modernist movements such as Cubism, Constructivism, and Biomorphism, as well as by African and Oceanic art. She explored themes such as nature, spirituality, mythology, and social justice in her work. She returned to Australia in 1985 and settled in Brisbane, where she died in 2000. Her work is held in several public and private collections, such as the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and the Charlottetown National Craft Collection.