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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1359241
What inspired you to become an artist? So many things inspire me, everything from animals, nature, colors and of course other people’s artwork. To be honest, this is a tough question as being an artist has always been me, it’s become as natural as breathing and I’m always thinking about art be it mine or someone else’s. I live for color and animals so combining them both is just brilliant! Can you tell us about some of the projects you’re working on right now? Would love too! Just before the pandemic, I was working on a collection of wildlife portraits for the Namibian Embassy. The collection is due to tour Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia in the near future, Covid pending. More recently, I have been creating an online shop for my work and some merchandise, please excuse the shameless plug! - www.rgportraits.com/shop-1 . I also very recently received news that I will be hosting a solo exhibition at the Dubai Expo 2020 (not a typo), in the Malaysian pavilion. The Expo beings on the 1st October 2021. I’ve got this and so much more going on at the moment. Please check out my Instagram at: rachelgray.art or rachelgray.artist for the build-up, the buzz and everything else in-between. What has been your favorite project to be a part of? Why? I have been very lucky to have worked on so many exciting projects, however this has to be a split between two incredible projects. One was a solo exhibition at the National Art Gallery. This was such a rollercoaster of an experience and pushed me out of every possible comfort zone. I was the first British female artist to have a solo exhibition at the National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, which was a tremendous honor. This experience is something I’ll never forget and even now I am still humbled by the amount of people that attended as well as the fantastic speech Mr. David Thomas the deputy British High Commissioner gave to launch the exhibition. The other was my tour of Namibia, which was the first half of a collaboration with the Namibian Embassy. I take my own wildlife photography to use as reference for when I paint my portraits so this was a trip of lifetime. I will never forget, seeing rare and stunning wildlife in the wild where they belong. It was a rare and wonderful experience.