Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel DeLuca.
Rachel, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I am thankful that art has always been a part of my identity. I grew up in Connecticut in a very encouraging environment for my creativity. At a young age I knew that I wanted to pursue art. I studied at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island with a specific interest in realistic, figurative painting. After I graduated, I moved to Boston to continue my studies. At Boston University my paintings shifted towards abstraction and opened up to a new way of thinking formally and conceptually. This past May I graduated with my M.F.A. in Painting. I am looking forward to seeing what the future brings and seeing how my work evolves outside of school.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I create paintings and mixed-media collages inspired by the spaces I inhabit. I use memories, photographs, and prints as tools in navigating these spaces and combine them with my own imaginings of a different reality. Repetition is important to my process. It allows me to work through different media and explore the strangeness of the wandering mind. This feeling is also explored through the manipulation of logic: color is invented, perspective is flattened, and objects are fragmented and floating.
I rely on the presence of chairs, plants, and architecture to create a sense of location while inviting the viewer into this new space. My hope is to create a sense of push and pull within my paintings and collages. I am intrigued in this in between state between the tangible and the imagined.
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
I think having a community of fellow artists is extremely important. Staying in touch with former professors, classmates, coworkers, etc has been so rewarding. Life as an artist can be isolating, especially when you are no longer surrounded by your peers. While working at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, I have met a variety of artists that are not only inspiring and supportive, but have helped me stay connected and work through artist struggles.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I post my work and my writing on my website, racheldeluca.com. You can also find updates about exhibitions and works in progress on my Instagram, @rach.deluca8.
Contact Info:
- Website: racheldeluca.com
- Email: racheldeluca3@gmail.com
- Instagram: rach.deluca8
Image Credit:
All images taken by Rachel DeLuca
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
Carol Deluca
September 6, 2018 at 2:42 am
Thank you for the informative article about Miss DeLuca and her love of art. Her paintings are very creative and beautiful. She is a very talented artist.