Artist Statement

We owned two horses until I was 10 years old. My sister and I rode as children and often accompanied my father on horseback in his yearly hunt in the Rocky Mountains. At the age of 10, we sold the horses and moved to Texas. Though no longer part of my daily life, horses were ever present in my mind and in much of my artwork. 

In September 2021, my family and I relocated to the Dominican Republic. September 2023 I started riding again after 40 years. As a new student of polo, on the field, I faced the juncture between fear, urgency, the demand for rapid precise action. The effect was exhausting, profound, unveiling self discovery and expression of a new level, also the fusing of my two seemingly irreconcilable bodies of art: abstraction and realism. 

I am pleased to present Momentum: works inspired by my experience learning to play polo over the last year. The work depicts moments of intense play with ghosted human forms and emergent, athletic horses. A dream-like allegory of partnership, determination and struggle leading us to life’s moments of triumph. 

Bio

Rachel White is a studio-based artist producing works in paint on linen and paper. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Fine Arts in the College of the Arts at the University of Florida, Gainesville teaching masters level courses in painting, color theory and the figure.

Parallel to her studio practice and prior to teaching at the University of Florida, she held numerous positions in New York City luxury cosmetics companies, including Global Director of Image Reproduction at Clinique and Global Director of Creative Operations at Lancôme, YSL, Ralph Lauren Fragrances, and Tom Ford Beauty among other brands.

While earning her MFA in Sculpture from Alfred University, Rachel focused on large-scale sculptural installation work, printmaking and digital media. These endeavors have had a lasting effect on her studio practice and advertising career. During her tenure in advertising, Rachel continued to explore the printed image, as her responsibility was largely dealing with retouching and the preparation of luxury imagery for in-store promotions, print advertising or online promotions.

Rachel is the recipient of fellowships from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Ox-Bow School of Art Residency, and Art on the Move Art Residency in Detroit. Her work can be found in international collections of art from Milan, New York City, London, Vancouver and Harare to Punta Cana and Casa De Campo, Dominican Republic.

Proudly self-represented, Rachel’s client relationships are of utmost importance as she provides the highest level of care to every art sale and customized work. Self representation also provides the liberty to donate a portion of her sales to international charities such as the American Wild Horse Conservation and charities relevant to local events.

Rachel lives, rides and works in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.