Rachel O’Connell – ROCWORX®

Venue

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Venue Facilities

Artist statement

Rachel O’Connell is a multi-media marbling artist, leatherworker and an educator, with over 35 years marbling experience. Marbling is a diverse surface pattern which can be applied to many materials. Using heritage craft skills with a contemporary design aesthetic, Rachel creates marbled art, textile art, homewares, leather jewellery, books and stationery.

Extended Bio

Based in South Devon, Rachel O’Connell is a multi-media marbling artist, leatherworker and an educator, with over 35 years marbling experience. She has worked with artists all over the world, learning her craft in a creative environment. Marbling on paper, ceramics, wood and natural textiles, Rachel combines her heritage craft skills with a contemporary design aesthetic, to create marbled art, textile art, homewares, wallpaper and soft furnishings, stitched books, stationery, and marbled leather goods and jewellery. In 2021, Rachel turned professional, turning a much loved hobby into a sustainable brand, ROCWORX®, and has since shown and sold work nationally in national museums and galleries, including Manchester Art Gallery, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Brantwood Museum, The British Museum and locally in MAKE Southwest and Thelma Hulbert Gallery. Her work can be found in select galleries and independent shops in Devon. Rachel is a sustainable maker, working with businesses to repurpose their resources, saving them from landfill. She repurposes theatrical textiles and ballet slippers received from companies in London, and tea bag paper and packaging, donating some of the sales proceeds to charity. Rachel tutors and demonstrates marbling across the UK in museums, galleries, schools and craft events. She also offers a range of workshops including marbling, bookbinding, leatherwork and soft furnishings in her own studio and tutors residential courses for West Dean Art College, Oxford Summer School, The National Trust and tutors teenagers for the educational charity, The Creative Dimensions Trust and for MAKE Southwest and Arts Council’s National Saturday Club.