Recognized as the originator of Contemporary Symbolist Folk, a lineage rooted in folk tradition, symbolic depth, and personal mythos.
My Secret Closet, USA
Joined October 2008
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Hello, friends!
I’m Aunia, a US based painter and curator. I work mainly in gouache, acrylic, colored pencil, and dimensional mixed media to build compositions that weave personal narrative with rich cultural symbolism.
SOLD 🔴 “Nothing Sacred Ever Had to Ask Permission to Take Up Space” has found its home. Thank you @principlegallery and to the collector who brought it into their life.
Acrylic Gouache, Oil Pastel, Colored Pencil on Paper
Size: 12 in x 16 in, Walnut Frame: 16 in x 20 in
2026
There’s something magical 📷 about seeing your art leave the canvas and become something you can live with (especially since I love interior design and collecting). I’m honored to be part of 517 Editions,
Shop now at 517editions.com
Message @517editions
Eight years ago, Peter of The Heroine’s Journey interviewed me for the first time. This week, we sat down again. 😍 So much has changed in my life and work since that first conversation.
Read Interview: theheroinejourney2016.com/20…
Thank you @flarelitmag for featuring my work. It was such an honor to be a part of this powerful publication. ❤️
New interview in issue #61 of the Visual Arts Journal. 🥰 I explore some interesting questions. Thank you so much for this interview and feature.
Get Print Issue: visualartjournal.com/2026/09…
Symbols of Life – Tin Embossed ❣️ SOLD
Tin + Acrylic
Bird: 2.5″ x 4″ (without ribbon)
Flower: 3.75″ x 5.75″ (without ribbon)
Heart: 2.5″ x 5″ (without ribbon)
Fish 2″ x 3.75″ (without ribbon)
For many years, illness kept me confined to my home. I loved that home. Still, it became a kind of cage, one that held me back from the freedom I longed for and connecting with the world in a way that haunts me to this day.
Birds embody that freedom.
Creating dimensional pieces of masks, flowers, headdresses, and other symbols in my work helps me connect with my work. It's a way of holding the symbol in my hand before it makes its way onto the paper.
I am excited to announce that I have been commissioned by Wizards of the Coast for Magic: The Gathering , and this project is one of the coolest things I have been able to do.
Color is something I explore by feel. I don't plan a palette or pick colors out ahead of time (except red) I work intuitively, mixing and testing swatches as the painting develops, and let each hue answer the last one.
My practice is intuitive and emergent. The work arises from a deeper, subconscious source, and its meaning is rarely available to me during the making.
Often it only begins to reveal itself once a piece is complete, sometimes taking a week or two to come into focus.
Authoring my own symbolism as an artists and returning to your roots feels like home.
facebook.com/reel/1069125745…
Black Veil Society opens at @moderneden October 1st, 2026
"Beneath Her Burning Veil The World Begins Again"
Gouache, Acrylic, Colored Pencil
Painting: 6 in x 12 in, Frame: 15 in x 22.5 in
2026
Then it all started to come back to me. I have been able to work in gentle mediums, which has been exciting! I took a 180-degree style change last year, and it feels like home. Excited to take my paintings and move them into dimensional mediums and performance. (2 of 2)
Right now, it feels like I opened a long-lost treasure chest of myself that was lost at sea for two decades. 📷 Everything was there waiting for me, and right now I am unpacking this treasure chest day by day, and the things I keep finding heal my heart and soul daily. (1 of 2)
Just finished my work for Black Veil 🖤 Society at @moderneden. For those on my early collectors list, you should have received and email last week with details.
Opening Reception: First Thursday October 1, 2026, 6–9 pm
Modern Eden Gallery
1100 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA
New interview with me in issue #61 of the Visual Arts Journal. 🥰 I explore some interesting questions. Thank you so much for this interview and feature.
Read interview in the print issue coming out the end of September or online here:
visualartjournal.com/2026/09…
