Isla Burns in Studio (courtesy Wallace Galleries)
Renowned abstract sculptor Isla Burns has died, age 72, in Camrose, Alta.
Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India in 1952, Burns came to Canada in 1970 and studied at the Alberta College of Art (now Alberta University of the Arts), where she focused first on figurative sculpture, then abstract work.
Later she completed her master of fine arts from the University of Alberta, graduating in 1978 with a Beta Sigma Phi Award in Art and Design. She met her husband, painter Phil Darrah there; the couple married in 1995.
As an artist in need of money, Burns took on welding jobs primarily for Boeing — working as their first female welder. She became so proficient that she went on to teach others. Later on, she repaired oil industry equipment in Saskatchewan.
As an artist, she apprenticed under Sir Anthony Caro in the United Kingdom, and in 1983, she returned to U of A, where she taught sculpture for the next 30 years.
She received an Award for Excellence from AUArts in 2002, the same year she was accepted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. She was inducted into the Cultural Hall of Fame in Edmonton in 2013.
“Isla always had a passion for sculpting. She was a trailblazer in abstract steel sculpting in Canada,” according to a statement from Wallace Galleries.
“Her legacy forged in Alberta will survive through her artwork in collections across Canada, and around the world. Her ideals and tenacity for art will endure through the many students she touched through her 30 years of teaching.”
Burns is survived by Darrah, her niece Sara Burns and stepsons Ben and Jason.
Source: Wallace Galleries, Weber Funeral Home
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