Wickedly Weird: The Dark Art of Weird Aunty Mildred

For my first ever interview here at Lexi's Projections, I was honored to be lucky enough to stumble across the works of Jacqui, the main artist of Weird Aunty Mildred - a storefront based in South Africa that creates unique, gothic, horror-infused artworks that range from handmade voodoo dolls all the way to alternative décor for your holiday needs (or everyday household decorations!)

I was thankful to be able to chat with her through direct messaging despite the difference in time zones from South Africa to Canada, and I had been introduced to her unique world of artistry through Stolen Goods, one of the local bands I had written for during the first week of February. It was delightful to be able to get in-depth answers about Jacqui and her art and how she creates the pieces that are listed. Her sense of humour is great to interact with personally, and I have such gratitude to be able to have the chance to get in touch with her on a larger scale.  

Jacqui and I had a conversation before I informally interviewed her with various questions that I had about her work, creative processes, and inspirations - and the answers she provided were helpful, informative, and so full of personable information that was great to learn. It added even more personality to the wonderfully unique world of art she has been behind, and the pieces on the Weird Aunty Mildred Shop are absolutely stunning.

Over at Weird Aunty Mildred, they do both pre-made artwork that is listed for sale (that you can order and have shipped right away) and custom made orders, with experience in prop making that brings even more depth to their artworks. Jacqui and her partner work tirelessly on their art, and it shows in every hand made piece through all of the fine details and efforts of craftsmanship; it's one of the most authentic alternative art sources you can find, and everything is of the best quality imaginable. 

The care for the customers and community is apparent through Weird Aunty Mildred, and the passion behind everything is incredibly clear to see - it's a refreshing glimpse into the kindness of the alternative scene, and Weird Aunty Mildred is just one of many shops that make it so great to be a part of. 

Read the in-depth interview down below: 

Questions are paraphrased for clarity.

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Q: What is your creative process like, and what inspires you to create the art that you do? 

A: Thank you so much for your kind words and for having me!

I wish I could tell you that my process is organized chaos or something like that, but it's not. There's nothing quirky or romantic about it. My boyfriend and I are a team and we literally just constantly throw ideas at each other and hope for the best. The studio is disaster area, and there are constantly a hundred things on the go. Projects will also get tweaked, abandoned or totally changed along the way as moods shift or techniques don't turn out the way we hoped. It's absolute anarchy here haha! We get our ideas from anywhere, but since horror movies are a huge part of our lives, the first little nuggets of a plan will often come from there. I'm also obsessed with the art of Mark Ryden and I've noticed that the overall aesthetic of a lot of our stuff is definitely influenced by his work. But to answer your question, I think we are the perfect example of throwing shit at the wall until something sticks

Q: How long do you spend on your art pieces? A bit of a vague question, but I hope it's okay. 

A: No it's actually a pretty important factor that is always in the back of my mind. Weird Aunty Mildred is a full time business and not just a sort of hobby, so we need to make sure that the amount of time going into a piece is reflected in the price. We can't spend a day and a half on something and then sell it for 20 USD you know? But because we are working with a lot of paint and other chemicals where drying time becomes a factor, there are always several things on the go at once, which makes keeping track of build hours kind of tricky. I'd say most pieces fit into the 5 - 8 hour time slot. My Voodoo dolls that I make completely by myself are around 3 to 4 hours each.

Q: I Love the voodoo dolls in particular, could you tell me more about those?

A: Being in Africa, we are totally able to have dolls either made or blessed by Traditional Healers (Sangomas) but that is not a direction I wanted to take. I've always wanted the stuff we sell to not be divisive politically or religiously. I feel there's enough of that already these days and while some folks will always be offended at something, we do try to stay out of conflict. It's for this reason that I've kept my Voodoo dolls totally ambiguous. They aren't blessed and they can be whatever the owner wants them to be. I will imagine a little story for them while I'm sewing and I'll give a vague outline of that in the description on the website, but ultimately, they become a product of the imagination of the person who ends up with them. Kind of like an invisible friend you can hold! Oh, and I just love the way the look. They are sooo cute

Q: How long have you been creating art for?

A: I can't even remember when I started being "weird" and decorating my space or customising my dolls in a way that concerned my family haha! Probably in primary school or kindergarten. A lifetime ago!

Q: What are the things that are most important to you when making art?

A: I'd say patience is right up there. I'm quite an anxious person and want to see results immediately, which doesn't go well with things that require process and time. I have to constantly remind myself to shift my focus and step away from projects, so that I can allow things to take shape organically. I can't tell you how many pieces I've ruined by over compensating or moving onto the next step before I should have. For me, patience is the most important thing.

Q: What do you think led to your interest in art and media that some would consider to be "creepy" or "odd"?

A: I really don't know haha. I had a totally normal childhood. No dead bodies or other trauma that might explain it, so I don't think there was ever a definitive moment where I decided that I like creepy stuff. I'm also not a particularly morbid person, so I have no idea lol. I just really, really love the aesthetic. Cluttered environments with all sorts of oddities fighting for space. Tons of mismatched art on the walls and creepy dolls everywhere. That is heaven for me.

Q: Were you born in South Africa? If not, when did you move there?

A: Yes, I was born here and have never left!

Q: What was it like growing up in South Africa?

A: I adore South Africa. My dad was moved around occasionally for his job and so I grew up in a number of small towns. It's a beautiful country and the weather is amazing, although winters are starting to hit a bit harder in my old age [] I also love the melting pot of so many different cultures and how we all get along as a society. Of course it wasn't always like that, and there's a very dark history here that cannot and should not be ignored. There are still a lot of things wrong with the country as far as corruption in our government is concerned, but the average people on street are some of the loveliest people you can imagine. Just trying to make the best of an increasingly crazy world and getting along with one another.

Q: What are some artistic ideas that you have had, but not yet done?

A:I'd like to get into marionettes. But I'm rather intimidated by the fact that I'd need to learn how to maneuver them. At least on a basic level! You can't build things properly if you don't know how they work ya know. I'm also playing with the idea of animatronics. But I want to avoid being kitsch or drop shippy if that makes sense. Like using electronics to make things genuinely scary in a very subtle way.

Q: When you're not crafting, what do you enjoy doing?

A: Watching movies, thrifting, looking after my snakes and above all else, eating! I eat like a horse haha

Thank you so much to Weird Aunty Mildred/Jacqui for taking the time to indulge in this interview with me, to and everyone along the road who has given me this wonderful opportunity! I appreciate everything more than I can express, and I look forward to sharing more interviews and editorials with you all throughout the year! Thank you to Hold the Mustard Productions for branching me out to interviews, and to the members of Stolen Goods for getting me in touch with Jacqui. 

Please inquire at holdthemustardproductions@gmail.com for show/booking inquires, or message them over on their Instagram. Seek the contact form or my Instagram page for interview opportunities or writing requests.