RACHAEL KANTARIS

She was born in Brisbane and after obtaining a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Falmouth School of Art, studied for her B.A. and M.A. at Brighton University. Since then she has travelled widely, and has worked as artist in residence in studios in Berlin and Melbourne. In 1997 she was invited by The British Council to be the main exhibitor in an exhibition of British contemporary printmaking which she took to Manila, and whilst there she taught a series of workshops at The University of the Philippines. 

"My work is driven by a fascination for colour. I want the viewer to be seduced and drawn into the piece, and for there to be a sense of movement in which the colours resonate. Etching is a very physical medium, often involving quite textured and deeply embossed areas, and I use and explore this sculptural quality in my work.

I like the contradiction between the craft of working with the metal, and the very painterly image which I aim to achieve on the paper. Above all I love the richness of etching - it has an almost sumptuous quality - a soft, velvety surface texture unique to this medium."