Rachel Clark Biography
Rachel Clark has established a reputation
as an abstract
artist, a portrait
painter and printmaker.
Her CV includes the prestigious John Moore's and Pacesetters exhibitions,
the National Portrait Gallery's BP Portrait Awards, the Printmaker's
Council Student Award and her selection for the 2009 Clifford Chance
Award. She is currently Artist in Residence at the London Metropolitan
University.
Rachel Clark has worked as a professional artist since graduating in
1976 with a First Class Honours Degree (Painting and Printmaking) from
West Surrey College of Art and Design. She has an MA in Printmaking from
Camberwell College of Arts. Her time is divided between her work as a
practising artist and running her life
painting and drawing school in London.
"Abstract painting is a way for me of connecting the inner and outer
world. My work as a portrait painter is in fact the same but with more
obvious emphasis on the outer."
Rachel Clark
Education
1976 - First Class Honours Degree, Painting and Printmaking WSCAD
2009 - MA Printmaking, Camberwell College of Arts
Awards
2009 - Printmakers Council Student Award
Forthcoming Exhibitions
2013 Curwen Gallery solo show (Autumn)
Recent Exhibitions include
| 2012 | RE Open Bankside Gallery London Bite Mall Galleries London Discerning Eye Mall Galleries London 2012 Curwen Gallery group show |
|---|---|
| 2011 | London - Florence Exchange Exhibition, Candid Gallery London Il Bisonte Gallery Florence A4 Printmakers Open Poly Arts Centre, Falmouth Discerning Eye Mall Galleries London |
| 2010 | Curwen Gallery London Rectory Gallery London 'Printworks' Unit 2 Gallery London The Royal Academy Summer Show Printmakers Council Bankside Gallery London Chamalières Triennale Auvergne France |
| 2009 | The Royal Academy Summer Show Clifford Chance Award Show |
Previous Exhibitions
Major open shows include New Contemporaries, John Moore's XI, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, National Portrait Gallery BP Portrait Awards, Pacesetters, and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. She has regularly taken part in exhibitions at venues such as Camden Arts Centre, London; Asage Art Gallery, New York; St Paul's Gallery, Leeds; Morley Gallery, London; Knapp Gallery, London; and in addition Welsh Arts Council touring shows.
Residencies
2010/11, 2011/12 Artist in Residence London Metropolitan University
2012 (June ) Brison's Veor, Cornwall
Public and Corporate Collections
Addenbrooke's Hospital Cambridge
Maudsley Hospital London
"First impressions of Rachel Clark's work can be misleading, for
she appears to paint two entirely contrasting types of subjects: portraits
and abstracts. But there is no dichotomy, no separate agenda or significantly
different way of thinking or creating in these pictures. They are equally
sincere and equally powerful in their means of expression and impact."
Robin Capon
Art critic & writer
Self-Managed Artist
Regular sales and commissions from a wide range of clients characterises
studio life for Rachel Clark as a self-managed artist.
Rachel holds studio exhibitions featuring her abstract
paintings, prints and portrait
commissions. She also runs her highly regarded private life
drawing school in her large, light and airy professional studio
in Poplar's former Spratts warehouse. Students enjoy the benefit
of receiving one-to-one painting and drawing tuition from a practising
artist.
Rachel Clark has recently completed two large projects:
- 'TESTAMENT', a series of abstract paintings
- 'CONTENTIOUS & INFLUENTIAL', a series of contemporary portraits of influential and contentious British Subjects. Those who sat include the late Mrs Mary Whitehouse CBE, ex-DAC Brian Paddick, Sir Bernard Ingham, Tariq Ali, Michael Mansfield QC, Edward Bond, Bruce Kent, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Professor James Lovelock, Dawn Airey and Rabbi Julia Neuberger.
Her portrait paintings, abstract paintings and prints are found in private collections, in the UK and abroad. Her work can be seen in two books, Drawing Figures, and Oil Painting Portraits, both published by Dorling Kindersley. She participated in a Channel 4 TV series in which she was invited to teach life drawing to guest celebrities; she has run special courses for animators working on the first Harry Potter video game and for designers in the BBC Creative Department.
