Born in Auckland, NZ, but living in Western Canada since she was six, Memet Burnett is a 1, 2 and 3D artist whose work casts a whimsical eye on the natural and imagined worlds and the beings therein. Burnett’s artistic leanings began as a small child taking pottery classes with her mother, and her art training continued through community and college courses. While getting her DVM and raising her children, she photographed continuously, developing her eye for detail and nuance. Burnett has taken many writing, painting, ceramic and sculpting classes and workshops with celebrated BC and international artists such as Bill Porteous, Bob Kingsmill, Linda Lindsay, Billy Rae Mangham, Elaine Brewer-White and Sarah Pike.
Burnett’s work is included in local, national, and international collections and has been shown on the walls of local establishments, introducing her work to a wider audience. She regularly submits and has pieces accepted into the Sooke Fine Arts show, one of the biggest juried art shows on Vancouver Island, BC. She is a founding member of the Juan de Fuca Potters, operating out of the Westshore Rec Center and a founding member of the Metchosin ArtPod, a collective of artists working out of a studio and gallery in scenic Metchosin, BC.
I am deeply interested in the natural world- its beauty, timelessness, fragility and sensitivity. As a one-time Park Naturalist and a retired veterinarian, I have a unique connection to animals. In my art, I feel called to merge my light-hearted, joyful, colourful awareness and appreciation with thoughtful exploration and celebration of the many issues affecting the natural world. In so doing, I hope to bring my world and the world at large more into balance.
