Aili Kurtis
Aili Kurtis is an award-winning artist who explores the rhythms and patterns of the Canadian
landscape in her studio in Westport, Ontario.
She seeks the “abstract within the real” and creates images that move away from reality while
still maintaining the appeal of the theme. Balancing on the edge between realism and
abstraction, Aili reveals a world beyond surface appearance by accentuating the vibrational
energy underlying the obvious. It is a place of constant change and infinite possibilities.
Raised in Yellowknife, N.W.T, Aili went south to study art at the Ontario College of Art (OCAD,
Toronto) and Ecole des Beaux Arts (Montreal), and then received a B.A. in Art Education from
the University of Quebec.
When Aili moved to Ottawa, she worked in the arts as the Art Director of CJOH-TV; the director
of Aili Studios (graphic design, illustration, court-room sketches); an art instructor at the Ottawa
School of Art; and as the Creative Director of Corel Corporation.
Aili paints in acrylics, oils, and pastels and has won many top awards both nationally and
internationally in all media. In 2004 she was awarded the title “Master Pastellist” by the Pastel
Artists of Canada. Her award-winning paintings have been featured in “The International Artist
Magazine”; “Pastel Journal”; “The Artists Magazine”; “Acrylic Artist: 29 Top Painters Share Their
Secrets” and many newspaper articles over the years.
Aili’s work has also been published in several books: “Abstract Painting”; “AcrylicWorks: Big
Values”, “AcrylicWorks: The Best of Acrylic Painting”; “How Did They Paint That?”
She has been interviewed on TV as a featured artist on Regional Contact, CTV, and in 2020 she
was interviewed on CBC Online News and All in a Day for her Coronavirus paintings.
Aili’s interest in philosophy and religion has led her to travel around the world to explore other
landscapes and cultures.