Rachel Smith is an artist, storyteller and educator. SHe currently resides in her home country of Canada but still travels exstensively, giving demonstrations, storytelling performances, workshops and joining school artist in residence programs around the world.
She comes from a rural farming community where life had a very different focus than what she has lived iun the past 20 years as an immigrant to Hong Kong.
During her time in Hong Kong, in her studio in Sham Shui Po, Smith worked with paper, fabric and watercolour. Inspired by her love and occasional despair of the city she lived and worked in, the scenes outside her studio window pushed her art in directions that are at turns comforting and alarming. Smith seeks to express in simple forms.
As time passes and the city rapidly changes further Smith waits with her scissors and brushes to see what will emerge slicing away, leaving room for light and movement.
In response to the lack of face to face classes during the time of Covid, the HK Mail Art Club came into being - a weekly mail out of DIY art kits to do at home. The kits invite you to assemble, colour and construct paper based figures, while learning about the natural world.
When not at the studio, Rachel has been found podcasting, storytelling and organising Hong Kong Stories, directiing the Hong kong Spoken Word Festival, or taking miniaturised versions of real people on adventures with Tiny Trekkers Travel Agency.
