Rachel Howard

Rachel Howard is a British artist whose work has been profoundly influenced by the stories, concerns, and questions raised by religion.

Biography of Rachel Howard

Rachel Howard, born in 1969, grew up on a farm in Easington, County Durham, and attended The Mount School, York, a Quaker school from the age of sixteen. The artist completed her studies at Goldsmiths College, London, in 1991.

In 1992, she received the Prince's Trust Award to support her art practice.  

In 1988, Rachel Howard, who was 19 years old, was waiting for a bus outside Goldsmiths College in London. She had a stack of her paintings with her as she had spent the evening at the student union bar. Suddenly, two individuals approached her and offered to carry her canvases back to her accommodation. One of them was Damien Hirst. They both played a crucial role in each other's early careers. From 1992 to 1995, Howard worked as a studio assistant for her friend Hirst and painted over 300 spot paintings. In 2008, she designed the front cover of The Big Issue newspaper.

In 2008, she was honored with the British Council Award, and in 2004, she was among the shortlisted artists for the Jerwood Drawing Prize.

From 1995 to 2008, Howard primarily used household paint in her art, although she now uses oil paint. Howard has a unique technique where she allows the paint to separate inside its can so that the pigment and varnish can be used separately. She first applies the pigment to the edge of the canvas, then dilutes and manipulates it by adding the varnish. The paint is then pulled down the canvas by the force of gravity.