Reach out:
aimie.bot@gmail.com
Background & Education
Aimie Botelho is an artist blacksmith working in Ontario, Canada. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Education. Following university, she pursued a traditional apprenticeship as a blacksmith at Two Smiths.
Aimie has been forging for 15 years, and loves sharing her passion for forged metal through teaching. She was an instructor for Fleming College’s Artist Blacksmith Certificate Program, where she taught the toolmaking, traditional joinery, and sculpture units. She currently works out of her own shop Matchstick Forge, and travels to teach at other venues.
Her community involvement has included: Editor for the Ontario Artist Blacksmith Association; the 2018 Richmond Hill Artist in Residence; assisting in the course Art in Metal at Danforth Tech in Toronto; participating in the YPRES 2016 international forging event in Belgium; being part of the Ukrainian Gate Project, among other events. She remains an active member of the forging community in Ontario.
Personal Practice
Aimie’s personal practice focuses on applying traditional forging techniques to contemporary (and sometimes humorous) concepts to create playful sculptures. Her preference for traditionalism in her workmanship is rooted in a love of problem-solving. Her ideas stem from a love of reading philosophy.