Profile

Rachael has a fascination with drawing, particularly people, observing their postures, expressions and actions in spontaneous sketches – often humorous studies of human behaviour. These drawings are translated into graphic, textile images – beautifully crafted and exactingly worked motifs. She expresses events through drawing, fabrics and stitch, using image, text and object to tell – often autobiographical – stories of the everyday.

Rachael Howard was one of the Royal College Of Arts first six embroidery postgraduates in 1992. Since then she has become renowned for devising new ways of combining screen-printed drawings with appliqued fabrics and machine embroidery. Rachael has been involved in a variety of projects including the prestigious Jerwood Textiles Prize (1997) for which she was shortlisted. Rachael’s quirky illustrational style could hardly be simpler, with every bird, flower and figure economically and beautifully executed.