Rachel Kneebone facts for kids
Rachel Kneebone (born in 1973) is an English artist who lives and works in London. She is famous for her detailed white porcelain sculptures.
Life and Work
Rachel Kneebone was born in Oxfordshire, England. She studied art at two different universities. In 1997, she earned a special degree called a BA (Hons) from the University of the West of England, Bristol. This means she studied art and got very good grades. Later, in 2004, she earned a MA degree in sculpture from the Royal College of Art in London. This is a higher degree that focuses on making sculptures.
In 2005, Rachel was nominated for an important award called the MaxMara Art Prize for Women. This prize celebrates talented female artists. That same year, her art was shown in an exhibition called The Way We Work at the Camden Arts Centre in London.
Also in 2005, a famous photographer named Mario Testino asked her to create a special wall sculpture. This sculpture was for an exhibition about Diana, Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace.
In 2006, Rachel had her very first solo art show in London at the Madder Rose gallery. A solo show means only her art was on display. All of her sculptures in this show were sold on the opening night! People really loved her work. One reviewer said her sculptures looked like different natural shapes blending into human body parts. They also mentioned that her art reminded them of ancient Greek and Roman myths.
In 2007, Rachel's art was part of a group exhibition called An Archaeology at Project Space 176 in London.
A big step in her career happened in 2008 when she started working with Jay Jopling and the White Cube gallery in London. White Cube is a very well-known art gallery. Her first solo show with them, called The Descent, opened in 2009.
In 2008, another famous artist named Tracey Emin chose one of Rachel's sculptures to be shown in the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. Tracey Emin said she found Rachel's work exciting. She liked that the porcelain figures looked delicate and had an old-fashioned, 18th-century style.
Rachel Kneebone is known for her beautiful white porcelain sculptures. These artworks often show organic shapes that seem to blend into parts of the human body. Her art is often inspired by old Greek and Roman myths, especially from a poem called Metamorphoses by Ovid. She is also influenced by the paintings of an 18th-century artist named François Boucher.
One of Rachel's well-known works is her Raft of Medusa installation. This piece is made of several white porcelain sculptures that show a tangled mix of limbs and shapes. These sculptures were displayed at The Foundling Museum from late 2017 to early 2018.
In 2009, Rachel spoke to Tate Etc. magazine about a drawing by William Blake. The drawing was called The Primaeval Giants Sunk in the Soil and was part of his illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy.
In 2012, the Brooklyn Museum in New York held an exhibition called Rachel Kneebone: Regarding Rodin. This show featured eight of Rachel's own sculptures next to fifteen works by the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin. Rachel herself chose which of Rodin's pieces to display with her own.
From 2017 to 2019, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London displayed Rachel Kneebone's sculpture 399 Days. This impressive artwork is a tall tower made of porcelain, standing 5 meters high.
Collections
Rachel Kneebone's art can be found in several important collections:
- Goss Michael Foundation (George Michael)
- David Roberts
- Mario Testino
- Zabludowicz Collection (Project Space 176)
