Rachel Maclean

BIOGRAPHY

Rachel Maclean is a multi-media artist living and working in Glasgow. Edinburgh Printmakers have supported MacLean since her graduation from Edinburgh College of Art, first exhibiting her work in a new graduate exhibition in 2012.

MacLean then undertook a commission from Edinburgh Printmakers to create a site-specific installation at Traquair House in the Scottish Borders, Reflective Histories. 

Maclean had her first solo show I HEART SCOTLAND with Edinburgh Printmakers in the lead up to the Scottish referendum of 2014. She produced over 20 editions for this exhibition. This work also toured to Hawick during the period in which she represented Scotland at the Venice Biennale. 

MacLean’s works with film and photography, using green screen to create outlandish characters and fantasy worlds. Her saccharine and child-like aesthetics tell unsettling, challenging narratives about socio-political identities. MacLean plays most of the characters in her films herself, using colourful costumes and make-up. The artist uses computer technology to generate her locations and borrows audio from television and cinema. Mixing high art and popular culture, advanced technology with traditional theatrical values, humour with serious politics, Maclean has fashioned a unique visual universe in her art. These worlds are as digitally sophisticated as they are handcrafted and laborious.

MacLean’s films have screened with BBC4, BBC Scotland, Channel 4 and selected UK cinemas. MacLean has produced music videos for Errors and Phantom Band.

MacLean's first major solo exhibition was commissioned by Edinburgh Printmakers, I HEART SCOTLAND (2013) for Edinburgh Art Festival.

Maclean exhibited in British Art Show 8 and represented Scotland at the 57th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, 2017.

Recent exhibitions include solo shows at Kunsthalle zu Kiel, Germany (2020);  Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel (2019); Arsenal Contemporary NYC, USA (2019); Kunsthalle Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland (2019) and Gus Fisher Gallery, University of Auckland, New Zealand (2018).

Selected UK based collections include: The British Council; Scottish National Galleries; The Arts Council Collection; The Kelvingrove Museum; The Zabludowicz Collection, London; Edinburgh College of Art Collection; Jupiter Artland; The Government Art Collection. Selected International collections include: Kunsthalle zu Kiel Collection, Germany, National Gallery of Australia Collection; Arsenal Contemporary, Canada; Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, US; The Hugh Lane Gallery, Republic of Ireland; Galleries Lafayette, France; Kiasma, Finland; Julia Stoschek Collection, Germany.