Rachel Murphy

“For as long as I can remember, I painted and created art, not only is it an important part of my life but is truly who I am, all my creations are a part of me.”

Rachel Murphy was born in Christchurch but moved when she was a child to Holland with her family for a couple of years. Arriving back in NZ to Auckland, Rachel grew up in the idyllic Titirangi - Waitakere Ranges of Auckland.

As a young adult Rachel lived for a time in Sydney, Australia and then Fife, Scotland, she still feels a strong connection to the land, architecture and people of Scotland.

Mostly self taught, Rachel works predominately in porcelain slip casting, using plaster moulds and slip (essentially a watery clay). Whilst studying a Bachelor of Design, she learned the basic technique of slip casting from Jo Nuttall - Glass casting Artist in Auckland. Much of Rachel’s skills have been developed over time, through successes and failures and in the case of gilding, many years of practice.

After 15 years designing furniture and interiors, with the creation of art as a hobby, it was not until 2012 that Rachel decided to concentrate on ceramics and then in 2014 become a full time artist. Her work is therefore influenced by her design background, with an emphasis on form and texture.

Rachel considers herself a student of nature and is constantly in awe of the subtleties and extremes of land, sea and air. Her creative process often begins with observations on a walk in the bush or on rugged west coast beaches.