Originally trained as a jeweller, Rachel’s fascination and love for working with metal, led to her experiment with wire as a medium for sculpting the human form.
Accomplished in life drawing, her sculptured wire figures concentrate on the expressive & emotional dynamics of human nature.
EXHIBITIONS: (galleries marked * are permanently selling my work)
2019
Bils & Rye Gallery, Yorkshire, UK.*
Curated, Mystic, USA.*
Twist group show, North Wall Gallery, Oxford, UK.
Oxfordshire Artweeks, Oxford, UK
OAS, Members show, Oxford, UK
2018
Handmade in Britain, Kew Gardens, London, UK
Sculpture in the Vineyard, Frilford Heath, Abingdon, UK
The Vaults, London, UK
Radley College, Oxford Arts Society, UK
Bradfield College, UK
Glemham Art for Cure, UK
Oxford Artweeks, Oxford, UK
2017
Glemham Art for Cure, UK
Magdalen College, Oxford Arts Festival, Oxford, UK
Oxford Artweeks, UK
Home and Gardens, GROW, Olympia, London, UK
Handmade in Britain, Chelsea Town Hall, London, UK
Private commission for Rolls-Royce
2016
5 Old Bailey for BW through Art Projects Management Ltd, London, UK
Art in Action, Waterperry, UK
Oxford Arts Festival, Magdalen College, UK
Craft in Focus, Henley-on-Thames, UK
RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London, UK
Oxford Art Weeks, UK
RHS Malvern, Worcester, UK
Reading Art Fair, UK
Canonteign Falls, Devon, UK
Oxford Art Exhibition for The Circle Charity , Oxford, UK
Westfield Centre
London Art Fair, Islington, London UK
2015
Henley Regatta, Phyllis Court, Oxford Sculpture Group Show, Henley-on-Thames, UK
Public work of art in Henley-on-Thames, UK
Magdelen College Arts Festival, Oxford, UK
Grow, London, UK
Haslemere, 2015 Exhibition, Sculpture Trail, UK
Oxfordshire Artweeks, UK
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London, UK
Espacio Gallery, Bethnal Green, London, UK
2014
Private commission, Napa, California, USA
Private commission for Rolls-Royce
Art in Action, Waterperry, UK
Henley Regatta exhibition, Henley-on-Thames, UK
Grow, Hampstead, London, UK
Loud and Western, London, UK
Summer Fields School 150 years exhibition, Oxford, UK
Chelsea Flower Show, London, UK (featured in Gold medal winning garden)
Oxfordshire Artweeks, UK
Gallery R, Sweden*
Henley Arts Trail, UK
Espacio Gallery, Bethnal Green, London, UK
OAS, Radley College, Oxford, UK
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London, UK
Artist in Residence, Summer Fields School, Oxford, UK
OSG, North Wall Gallery, Oxford, UK
2013
Art in Action, Waterperry, Oxfordshire, UK
Hampton Court Flower Show, London, UK
Chelsea Flower Show, London, UK
Gallery Up Stairs, Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, UK
Junction Gallery, Woodstock, UK
St Peters College, Oxford, UK
Oxfordshire Artweeks, UK
Jam Factory, Oxford, UK
In House Gallery, Mere, UK
Balon Rouge, Thame, UK
Walford Mill Crafts, Dorset, UK
The Gallery at Ice, Windsor, UK
Oxford Sculpture Society, North Wall, Oxford. UK
2012
‘Freeze’ exhibition at the O3 Gallery Oxford with printmaker Rachel Owen. UK
The Savoy Hotel London with painter Joanna May, London, UK
Burford Garden Company Christmas Show. UK*
The Framers Gallery, London, UK
Art in Action, Waterperry, Oxfordshire. UK.
Galerie Francois Giraudeau, Ile de Re, La Rochelle, France
Henley Festival, UK
Oxfordshire Artweeks, UK
Kingham Lodge, Group sculpture show. Kingham, UK
Brewery Arts, Cirencester, UK * ‘Physicality’ Show. UK
Junction Gallery, Woodstock, UK
The Craft Centre and Design Gallery, Leeds, UK*
2011
AAF, London. UK.
Oxfordshire Artweeks.
The Gallery at Bevere, Worcester. UK*
2010
Joanna May Gallery, Marlborough, UK*
O3 Gallery, Oxford, UK (Metamorphosis Show)
Henley Festival, Henley-on-Thames, UK
Art for Youth, Oxford, UK
Woodstock Arts Festival, UK
AAF, London,UK
Obsidian Art, Bucks, UK*
Cuadros Gallery, Nottingham, UK
2009
Liscious Interiors/Gallery, Oxford, UK
Public Art commission, London, UK
Joanna Jones Gallery, Bottesford, UK
Azure Gallery, Sidmouth, UK*
Artist in residence, Wheatley Park Art school, UK
2008
The White Gallery, Cheshire, UK
Oxford Open, MAO, Oxford, UK
O3 Gallery, Oxford, UK
Gallery Top, Derbyshire, UK
The Studio Gallery, Henley-on-Thames, UK*
2007
Morgan Lovell, Soho, London, UK
Harding House Gallery, Lincoln, UK
The Blue Door Gallery, London, UK
The Portmellon Gallery, Cornwall, UK
Opera Holland Park, London, UK
Oxford Artweeks, Oxford, UK
Oxford Art Society Members Exhibition, Oxford, UK
Gallery 49, Kent, UK
Ferrers Gallery, Ashby de la Zouch, UK
2006
Member of OAS (Oxford Art Society, Est. 1891)
The Craft Centre & Design Gallery, Leeds, UK
Apple Gallery, Surrey, UK
The D’art Gallery, Dartmouth, UK
Agora Gallery, Soho and Chelsea, New York, USA
Old Chapel Gallery, Leominster, UK *
Oxford Artweeks, Oxford, UK
Morgan-Boyce Contemporary Fine Art, Marlborough, UK
Fisherton Mill Galleries, Salisbury, UK *
Modern Artist Gallery, Berkshire, UK *
2005
EWACC Group exhibition, Light Gallery, London UK
Cirencester Brewery Arts, Glos, UK*
Islington Art and Design Fair, London, UK
Marmalade Gallery, Oxford, UK
Paddon and Paddon, Eastbourne, UK
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London, UK
Dorchester-on-Thames, Festival, Oxfordshire, UK
Artifex, Mitchell Centre for Art and Craft, Birmingham, UK *
Ubergallery, Melbourne, Australia
Opera Holland Park, London, UK
Sculptastic Gallery, London, UK
Liscious Interiors, Oxford, UK
Oxford Artweeks, Oxford, UK
Urban Gardens 2005, Olympia, London, UK
Gallery Nomansland, Scotland, UK
2004
Wolfson College, Oxford University, UK
The Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford, UK
Art in Action Gallery, Waterperry, UK
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London, UK
Twist Art & Design launch exhibition, London, UK
Oxford Artweeks, Oxford. UK.
2003
Lee Chapman Gallery, Lake District, UK
European Makers Gallery, Amsterdam. The Netherlands
Blue Wing Gallery, Richmond, London. UK.
The Contemporary Craft Movement, Hampstead, London UK
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London, UK.
Rivers Gallery, Glos. UK
Larks Gallery, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK*
Oxford Artweeks, Oxford, UK.
2002
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London UK
The Contemporary Craft Movement, Hampstead, London UK
Magic Fingers Gallery, Somerset UK
Woodstock Arts Ltd. Gallery, Oxon UK
The Craft Movement, Bowood House, Calne UK
Oxford Art Weeks, Oxford UK
Pebbles Yard Gallery, Pembrokeshire UK*
The Craft Movement, Chelsea, London, UK
2001
Graves Gallery, Millennium Galleries, Sheffield, UK
Affordable Arts Fair, Battersea, London, UK
Bell Fine Art Gallery, Winchester, UK
Art In Action Gallery, Waterperry, UK*
Oxford Art Weeks, Oxford, UK. This included a window display in Bordersbookshop, city center Oxford
2000
Twist Art & Design, 20th Century Theatre, London
The Chalk House, St Ives, Cornwall, UK
Liscious Interiors, Oxford, UK
We Three Kings Contemporary Arts, Witney, UK
Veranda Gallery, Oxford, UK
Taurus Gallery, Oxford, UK
Oxford Art Weeks, UK
1996-1999
Jericho Café, Oxford, UK
Freud Art Café, Oxford, UK
Café Something, Oxford, UK
Dust Bar, London, UK.
PRIVATE COMMISSIONS:
Rachel’s work has enhanced the décor of hotels, restaurants, clubs & private homes throughout the UK, Europe & the USA.
These include:
- Commissions for Rolls-Royce.
- Grand Designs, Channel Four.
- Public Art Commission, London, UK
- Andaz Hotel, Liverpool St, London, UK
- A prominent display of four figures in the leisure room of a villa in Saudi Arabia.
- The ‘focal piece’ for the foyer of the Hilton Hotel, Milan, Italy. commissioned through Project Arts Ltd, London, UK.
- A working exhibition for Levi-Strauss & co, as part of their conference in Brussels, Belgium. Arranged by Out of the Blue Productions & management Ltd.
- An alternative mannequin, for New York stylist, Nike Booth.
- Life-size dynamic figure for a penthouse apartment for Joannah Trading Interiors, London.
- Piece for the K+K Hotel Cayre, Paris
- Private commission in Hong Kong
REVIEWS:
Craft & Design Magazine review, July/August 2014
The Sunday Times Magazine 2014
Featured in ‘Sculpting in Wire’ by Cathy Miles
The Times Newspaper magazine feature by Rob Cassey 2005
Appearance on ‘Our Home’ Interior Design programme shown on UK Style, Cable & BBC America 2004
Feature in Andrew Martin Interior Design Review vol.6, 2002 London, UK
Appeared on Channel 6 Oxford UK. 2001, 2002, 2003
Oxford Times Newspaper
Subject for various art students final thesis.
ART IN THE COMMUNITY
One of the participants of The Big Arts Week (supported by the BBC and the Art Council of England) voluntarily working at a local school with children with behavioral problems introducing them to the fascinating artistic world.
Reviews:
“Ducker hardly needs to tell us that she feels constantly urged to make and create. Her figures, in the unlikely medium of twined wire, are full of movement, seeming on the verge of flying, with their streaming hair and spread limbs. Even those shown sitting, in meditative poses with relaxed hands, retain a latent energy – and of course that electric wiry hair.
Some are life-size, some tiny, most about a metre high. There are no children. Some are female. One is pregnant. the rest are androgynous, though the Suspended Couple and Chest to Chest pieces might imply another scenario. And that is a tribute to Ducker’s skill, in conveying emotion and character through tiny variations in angles of head, hand or fingers within the constricting limits of coiled wire. In contrast stability is provided by solid lead feet, which often look endearingly like Renaissance Florentine shoes.”
Jeannine Alton – Oxford Times, May 2005