b. 1967  London England

1997  Royal College of Art  – MA

1995  Central St Martins – Printmaking & Photo-media – BA

Richelle Rich creates art works that challenge notions of femininity, sexuality and gender.  Use of self portraiture as the central discipline ensures that the work, whilst political, is first and foremost grounded in the personal. These reoccurring themes co exist in a multidisciplinary practice encompassing performance, photography, print, installation and sculpture, and most recently video. Often overtly seductive, sometimes perilously close to cliche, Rich blurs boundaries between the pornographic, humorous and heart breaking to unsettling effect.

After living in London for over 30 years Rich relocated to Los Angeles in 2014. The move instigated an expansion in motifs present in Rich’s practice for over two decades. New works, intimate video performances, explore familial ties, heritage and belonging. Using sewing materials in conjunction with self portraiture, the resulting series of works entitled ‘Stay. Tied. Bound.’ are shot, hand held, on outdoor locations of personal significance across both Europe and America. Sculptures created from the detritus of the performances challenge the definition of the materials as traditionally feminine, in a poignant and tactile series of 2 and 3 dimensional works entitled ‘Evidence of a Struggle’

These themes are further explored in ‘Crushing’, an ongoing series of works, utilizing poisonous plants and flowers. Video, Cibachromes and sculptures as well as works on paper document the transformation and decay of deadly plants in giant custom made flower presses and poison gardens created by the artist. Futile attempts at capturing the living, and the inevitable decay and atrophy that results, the works are fragile reminders that memories fade, turn to dust, and life’s only guarantee is impermanence.

Richelle Rich is the winner of The Faulkner Award and the Augustus Martin Prize. She was shortlisted for the FACK Art Prize.

Her writing has been published in Art Review magazine.  Her work has been featured in The Guardian, The Financial Times ‘How to Spend it Magazine’,  The Times (London), The Independent, Contemporary Magazine, Time Out (London), Harpers and Queen.

Rich lives in LA, is married to musician Harry Waters and has 2 young children

Please use contact form for press and sales enquiries

Solo shows

2003
Richelle Rich – Michael West Gallery – Isle of Wight – UK

2002
If I Can Dream – Hirchl Contemporary Art – Cork Street, London – UK

2001
Richelle Rich – Standpoint Gallery – Hoxton, London -UK

Selected Group Shows

2019

Get A Loom – Softcorela – Los Angeles -USA

2018

Royal Academy –  Summer Exhibition – London -UK

2017

Bombay Beach Biennale – California – USA

2013

Chelsea Fringe @ GWS – Great Western Studios – London – UK

FACK London Art Prize (shortlisted) – London – UK

2012

CRASH – Charlie Dutton Gallery- London (shortlisted) – UK

2002
Paupers Publications Standpoint Gallery – London – UK

2001
Figure 8 -Pump House Gallery- London
Figure 8 – London Print Studios -London
‘Life – A Users Manual’ – NCK Gdansk – Poland

1999
WIP – Lana House, London

1998
Good Art – Corbett Place, London
Comic- Contemporary Comic Narrative Art – Oldham Art Gallery

1997
Almost Edible – Bath Contemporary Art Gallery, Bath
Art@Hause – London

1996
The Great Escape – Lana House, London

1995
Bad Art – Lost in Space, London – Curated by Martin Maloney
Lost In Space – Commercial St, London