The undeniable beauty of Rachel van der Pol's work is achieved both by the intrinsic loveliness of the stained glass she uses as well as the other small items that find their way into her pieces. This beauty coupled with her undeniable careful craftsmanship conveys to her audience the passion and sincerity she has for her craft. The meditative act of laying down clattering pieces of glass to create a colorful, glistening work of art, completely envelopes her.
The subject matter of Rachel's art has most always been herself. Early on she experimented with abstract depictions of the female form, typically her own. These gradually evolved into a much more literal approach of the self portrait by taking direct inspiration from personal photographs. Through Rachel's body of work, she hopes to tell the story of her life. A sort of autobiography from snippets of times that were somehow significant to her.
Bio
Born in Naaldwijk, Holland in 1982, Rachel van der Pol moved to Southern California with her family when she was just four years old. When Rachel’s parents recognized their very young daughter’s tendency towards quite musings, they carted her off to arts and crafts workshops. While her two sisters were exercising their energetic talents on theater and the performing arts, Rachel was focusing her attentions on manipulating paints or clay for her own delight. As she grew, she never lost her affection for creativity and continues to put it at the center of her life.
Working primarily in the medium of stained glass mosaic but also with painting and crafting, Rachel’s pieces are characterized by her bold color choices, detailed design work and self-portrait subject matter. Rachel attended California State University at Fullerton where she earned a Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art in 2007. She currently resides in Los Angeles where she continues to expand her body of work and master her craft while pursuing a masters degree in mathematics.
