About

Rachel is a visual artist based near Moynalty, Co. Meath, Ireland. With a background in fine art, her work is largely concerned with the human condition.

“I am drawn to figurative forms that are thoughtful and expressive. I aim to create a meditative space for the viewer through my paintings.

I am fascinated by the amalgamation of person and space within an emotional context—the atmosphere that surrounds us as a result of our condition. Where language fails to articulate emotion, brushwork and colour demonstrate vulnerability.

“Clarke’s paintings capture the visceral experience of humans: the internal struggle of being. The dislocated shapes are physically stuck, unable to break free from the inevitable solitude alienating them. Through textured layers and flat surfaces, clearly outlined silhouettes or approximative forms, the figures, absent to themselves, are craving a unification that seems out of reach. With the use of a warm colour palette and comforting rounded patterns, Clarke manages to immerse the viewer in the intimacy of her paintings. The underlying tenderness of her works invites us to contemplate the incisiveness of personal despair but coated with a glaze of empathy and care.”

- Julia Moustacchi, Curator, The LAB Gallery, Dublin.