Robert Pauly

Robert Pauly is a Clayton-based maker and collector of art. His work includes sculpture, jewellery and wearable art using a myriad of materials and techniques.

About 20 years ago he began making women’s hats and worked as a milliner until retirement from that business in 2022. Fifteen years ago, he began quilting and now focuses on fibre arts: quilts, tapestries and a series of masks based on a post-apocalyptic story he wrote.

Robert studied Fine Arts and Theatre at Sir George William University (now Concordia) and worked in the film industry until he moved to Lanark County. He studied Millinery with Karyn Gingras of Lilliput Hats in Toronto.

Pauly is an experimenter driven by curiosity, the desire to make things by hand – with a healthy mix of respect for tradition and irreverence for the status quo.

“My wife taught me how to use a sewing machine. I’ve worn out several machines. I’ve always had an interest in fashion and design: as a costume designer, sculptor, milliner, jeweller, and quilter.”