An environmentally conscious painter living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rachel Forrest grew up in rural Oklahoma where she developed a great appreciation for nature, spending ample time at her family’s farmland. As a young girl she expressed her love of nature through art. She developed her observational skills and artistic talent nurtured by her family and teachers, and before attending university was fortunate to be mentored by Kathleen Blake, a well known artist in Oklahoma.
Forrest received two BFAs in Painting and Art History from the University of Kansas. She studied abroad at the Marchutz School of Art in Aix-en-Provence, France, and attended printmaking workshops from Ron Pokrasso in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After graduating university, Forrest worked as a studio assistant for Carol Ann Carter and more recently has been showing her art in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, after a number of hardships including surviving breast cancer, Rachel realized she has more than one passion--and also loves helping animals. Therefore, she is currently pursuing another dream to become a registered veterinary technician.
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Check out Rachel's cat rescue blog here
From the modernist landscapes of Cezanne to the contemporary artwork of surrealists from Australia, Forrest continually feeds her mind with artwork from every corner of the world. This variety of influence leads her to treat each piece as unique and special, injecting strong conceptual elements in the creation process. The images she creates often become surreal with unexpected combinations of symbols and shapes, interwoven with alluring colors. Forrest regularly draws inspiration from her love of nature as an escape from the crowds of the Bay Area, or conversely to criticize the human impact on the environment. In the past year Forrest's work has taken a more personal tone as a young cancer survivor, creating artwork that is meditative and cathartic.
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, Lawrence, KS
BFA Visual Art (Painting) (Magna Cum Laude)
BFA History of Art (Magna Cum Laude)
Minor in French Language
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MARCHUTZ SCHOOL OF ART, Institute for American Universities, Aix-en-Provence, France.
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA, Edmond, OK
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GALLERY REPRESENTATION
FIVE 3 GALLERY, Laguna Beach, California
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SOLO EXHIBITIONS
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CAFFE FRASCATI, Antscapes, San Jose, CA 2019-2020
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KANSAS UNION GALLERY, Still Scenes, Lawrence, KS 2014
THE BOURGEOIS PIG, Still Scenes, Lawrence, KS 2014
FIVE BAR, From France to Kansas, Lawrence, KS 2013
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
D'ART CENTER, Divulge, Norfolk, VA 2020
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WORKS/SAN JOSE, For Mr. Floyd, Ms. Taylor..., San Jose, CA 2020
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TRITON MUSEUM OF ART, Covid-19: Life in a Pandemic, San Jose, CA 2020
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SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, Connection/Misconnection, Lawrence, KS 2012
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BG GALLERY, Spectrum Gestalt Projects, Santa Monica, CA, 2018
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ARC GALLERY, Impulse, San Francisco, CA 2016
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LEEDY-VOULKOS ART CENTER, Divine, Kansas City, MO 2014
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KALEID GALLERY, HARK!, San Jose, CA 2018
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WORKS/SAN JOSE, Anti-Valentine Show, San Jose, CA 2018
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WORKS/SAN JOSE, Alternative Facts, Taking Liberties & Annual Auction, San Jose, CA 2017
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LOCAL COLOR ART STUDIOS, Earth Day Art Show, San Jose, CA 2017
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SUNNYVALE ART GALLERY, Final Show, Sunnyvale, CA 2016
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SJ FORAGER, Land/escapes, San Jose, CA 2016
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ARTILLERY A.G. GALLERY, The Mission District, San Francisco, CA, 2015
2016 MAIN GALLERY, Exhibition with artists of Seedco Studio, Kansas City, MO 2014
SAVAGE ART GALLERY, Something Red, Tulsa, OK 2012
PHOENIX GALLERY, Sublime, Lawrence, KS 2014
STUDIO BONGIORNO, The Art of Politics, Santa Clara, CA 2016
SEEDCO STUDIOS, Lost and Found, Lawrence, KS 2014
BUTTONWOOD ART SPACE, Visions of the Flint Hills, Kansas City, MO 2014
ART AND DESIGN GALLERY, Graduate Exhibition, University of Kansas 2014
(3) ART AND DESIGN GALLERY, Scholarship Show, University of Kansas 2012-2014
MARCHUTZ SCHOOL OF ART, Final Exhibition, Aix-en-Provence, France 2013
CLUB 115, RAW OKC, semi-finalist for artist of the year, Oklahoma City, OK 2012
RAW OKC, July showcase, Oklahoma City, OK 2012
BENEFIT ART AUCTION FOR ZACHARY GRAAS, Pachamama’s, organization and curation of event 2012
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SELECTED AWARDS/RESIDENCIES
AWARD OF MERIT from Janet-Davidson Hues for Remember that you are from Dust, and to Dust you shall Return
AWARD OF MERIT from Marilyn Stokstad for Untitled Still Life
ARTIST RESIDENCY at the Homestead National Monument of America in Beatrice, Nebraska 2014