Rachel Mercer

Rachel Mercer b. 1989 Cambridgeshire. Mercer holds a BA from Cardiff School of Art and completed the Drawing Year in 2013. Based in London she balances her time between studio practice and teaching. Rachel has taught on the young artist's programme since 2013 and on the public programme since 2019. 

Mercer’s paintings juxtapose everyday scenes and classical themes creating haunting images where the subject fades into the sensuality of the medium. The figures in her work move and dissolve across the canvas, simultaneously creating a sense of disappearance and presence. 

She has exhibited in the UK and China. Stand-out exhibitions include: Christie's London, 2013, Mercer Chance and Mandell's Gallery in 2018, San Mei Gallery in 2019, Carousel Gallery and Coventry Cathedral in 2020 and Fitzrovia Gallery 2022. Shortlisted for the Ruth Borchard Prize (2020) and Hampstead Art Society prize (2022).