Rachel Burke Makes Things
Monica Rohan
- Sitter: Rachel Burke
- Medium: Oil on Canvas
- Dimensions: 111cm x 141cm
- Representation: Jan Murphy Gallery and Sophie Gannon Gallery
About the artwork
Rachel Burke is an internationally recognised multidisciplinary artist, designer and author based in Brisbane. Her colourful and fantastical creations have been worn by Harry Styles, Kesha and Cate Blanchett, and she has collaborated with global brands including Disney, LEGO and Barbie.
“During my sittings with Rachel, she’d recently completed a significant body of work dealing with heavier topics than one might associate with the colour and joy in her work. I knew from following her for a long time that there was this other side to her practice and I was interested in exploring that juxtaposition.”
In this portrait, the artist captures Burke in one of her wearable artworks, a floor-length gown of tulle flowers, her head bowed.
“Exploring the way this dress mediates her relationship to the world, my painting expands and elongates the already exaggerated form, pushing Rachel high above her surroundings. In this elevated space, her introspective expression suggests an inner life alongside the outward kitsch and exuberance of her creation.”
About the artist
Brisbane based artist Monica Rohan is a painter who completed a Bachelor of Fine Art with Honours from Queensland College of Art. She has been a finalist in numerous major awards including the Archibald Prize, Mosman Art Prize, Sulman Prize and Dobell Drawing Prize. Her work is held in public and private collections and she is represented by Jan Murphy Gallery in Brisbane and Sophie Gannon Gallery in Melbourne.
