Rachel Clark Biography
As a professional painter Rachel Clark has established a reputation as
an abstract
artist and as a portrait
painter. Hence you will find both the prestigious John Moore's and NPG's
acclaimed BP Portrait Awards in her CV.
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. Her time is divided between her work
as a practicing 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
Rachel Clark 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.
"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.
From 1996 she has concentrated entirely on studio exhibitions featuring
her abstract
paintings and on 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 practicing artist.
Rachel Clark is currently working on two large projects:
- a series, working title 'TESTAMENT', of abstract paintings
- a series, working title 'CONTENTIOUS & INFLUENTIAL', of contemporary portraits of influential and contentious British Subjects. Those who have sat to date include the late Mrs Mary Whitehouse CBE, 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.
Both her portrait paintings and abstract paintings are found in private collections, in the UK and abroad, and can be seen in two books, Drawing Figures, and Oil Painting Portraits, both published by Dorling Kindersley. She recently took part 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.
