Meet Rachel Barber

Hi, I’m Rachel, I live a slow, sweet coastal life in Mangonui, Northland. I love gardening and growing flowers, wandering through the bush, swimming in the ocean, painting of course, stitching, knitting, and grounding my bare feet on the sand. I live to allow intuition and creativity to flow freely through my body, to listen and respond to what's right in front of me.

My work is a celebration of colour, energy, and flow. Im interested in creating compositions that feel alive and connected. Each piece begins with paint splashed energetically around the canvas. from there I build up layers, adding and arranging colour and form. I’m constantly scanning the canvas, searching for the next piece of the puzzle to link together. when I look at the final piece, I see entire worlds inside, buzzing and alive with energy, harmonious in their unique atmospheres.

Over time, I’ve learned to trust my intuitive process completely. Creating becomes my form of meditation and joy. I’ve always been a colourist and the way I work with colour is deeply intuitive. Whether through paint, textile or during my years as a florist, I have always had a deep knowing and sense of what colours belong together. Working in the floral industry for many years gave me a taste of woking to clients briefs, trying to match the overall feeling and vibe to their occasion. I really enjoyed this aspect, and its why I feel so drawn to the collaboration process.

I create with the intention that each piece will uplift, energise, and connect with its viewer. My hope is that my work serves as a reminder that brightness and beauty can always be found. I have realised that I’m interested in adorning spaces, embellishing where there is emptiness, and bringing an overall 'more' feeling into the world. My artworks serve as potent, powerful portals, and I believe that we need to consume beauty that emanates from art, to use it as fuel to move forward in this weird, wild and wacky world.