AUNIA KAHN

This month of March artist Aunia Kahn is featured. Aunia's art is a dramatic contrast to a lot of my own art, considering my work so far has been lighter and more colorful. But, something emotional and really felt comes out with Aunia's work, and I love all of it! She is a mixed media artist. Meaning she works with photography, and digital painting to create her images, but, she is also a painter. She's the winner of numerous art shows and contests. Considering my site, normally I would not featured photography based artists, but Aunia is truly an exception. To me, what is most important about Aunia is that she is a prime example of someone who has funnelled her emotions into her work almost as self therapy. Not only does she swear art has made her feel healthier with herself, but her work has also touched the lives of many many others. She often does talks and lectures about her work and her personal experiences when she shows her art. Please read her interview below to learn more, and see her three prints available for purchase in the gallery. 

1. Your art has a lot to do with your personal history and your past experiences. It is very well crafted and yet somewhat morose thematically. Please share how your life experiences, good and bad have come through in your art.
Everything I do comes from a deep part of me. I guess when someone needs to heal and something is eating at them from inside they find a way to change those feelings if they want to get healthy. My art has been very therapeutic for not only myself but for the viewers that have seen it. Using myself as a model in everything helps me to stay really focused on my emotions. My work was originally not for public consumption, and it really felt like open wounds to look at and to finally see it on a gallery wall made me feel very vulnerable. If you look at my work I am sure that you can see the experiences I have gone through, but also can take what you want from it for your own personal reasons as well.

2. How many years have you been an artist?
I have been doing art all my life, but professionally since 2005.

3. What final factor pushed you into making your art a career?
When a friend of mine suggested that I submit to a show at the St. Louis Artists' Guild called "Voices Within Surviving Through the Arts". Once I did it and not only felt that it was therapeutic for me, I saw that I was touching people in a way I had never before seen, soon after I started to exhibit regularly. 10 show in 2005, around 30 in 2006, and in 2007 close to 60.

4. Where do you live now?
I live in Illinois, but really dislike the cold weather so I am looking to move to a warmer climate.