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Fiona Rae BIOGRAPHY
Born 1963 Hong Kong. Known for: Abstract and semi-abstract painting that combines gestural, graphic, and digital-era visual languages.
Fiona Rae was born in Hong Kong but has lived most of her life in England. She insists that there was nothing in her childhood to predict a career as a painter. She admits to having won the painting... Read full biography
Fiona Rae was born in Hong Kong but has lived most of her life in England. She insists that there was nothing in her childhood to predict a career as a painter. She admits to having won the painting prize at a local festival when she was ten years old, but dismisses the notion that this was... Read full biography
Fiona Rae was born in Hong Kong but has lived most of her life in England. She insists that there was nothing in her childhood to predict a career as a painter. She admits to having won the painting prize at a local festival when she was ten years old, but dismisses the notion that this was prophetic, since she also won a swimming prize, but didn't become a swimmer. In 1984 she enrolled at Goldsmith's College in London where she studied with Michael Craig-Martin, the teacher seen as most... Read full biography
Fiona Rae was born in Hong Kong but has lived most of her life in England. She insists that there was nothing in her childhood to predict a career as a painter. She admits to having won the painting prize at a local festival when she was ten years old, but dismisses the notion that this was prophetic, since she also won a swimming prize, but didn't become a swimmer. In 1984 she enrolled at Goldsmith's College in London where she studied with Michael Craig-Martin, the teacher seen as most responsible for fostering the conceptual work associated with the school. She also studied at the Croydon College of Art in London. Rae's work could hardly be called 'cool'; she paints with brightly colored, madly colliding images and styles. A typical Rae... Read full biography
Fiona Rae was born in Hong Kong but has lived most of her life in England. She insists that there was nothing in her childhood to predict a career as a painter. She admits to having won the painting prize at a local festival when she was ten years old, but dismisses the notion that this was prophetic, since she also won a swimming prize, but didn't become a swimmer. In 1984 she enrolled at Goldsmith's College in London where she studied with Michael Craig-Martin, the teacher seen as most responsible for fostering the conceptual work associated with the school. She also studied at the Croydon College of Art in London. Rae's work could hardly be called 'cool'; she paints with brightly colored, madly colliding images and styles. A typical Rae picture gives off relentless heat. She tosses in a bit of cartooning for an extra spin; her work is a cocktail of clashing sources, mix... Read full biography
Artist Biography
Biography page for Fiona Rae ((Born 1963)), known for Abstract and semi-abstract painting that combines gestural, graphic, and digital-era visual languages. Showing 2 biographical entries and 0 sample artworks.
Fiona Rae - Artist Info
About Fiona Rae
Biography from the Archives of askART
Fiona Rae was born in Hong Kong but has lived most of her life in England. She insists that there was nothing in her childhood to predict a career as a painter. She admits to having won the painting prize at a local festival when she was ten years old, but dismisses the notion that this was prophetic, since she also won a swimming prize, but didn't become a swimmer.
In 1984 she enrolled at Goldsmith's College in London where she studied with Michael Craig-Martin, the teacher seen as most responsible for fostering the conceptual work associated with the school. She also studied at the Croydon College of Art in London.
Rae's work could hardly be called 'cool'; she paints with brightly colored, madly colliding images and styles. A typical Rae picture gives off relentless heat. She tosses in a bit of cartooning for an extra spin; her work is a cocktail of clashing sources, mixing images of the street with the great masters.
Written and submitted by Jean Ershler Schatz, artist and researcher from Laguna Woods, California.
Sources include:
Jeffrey Kastner in "ARTnews" magazine, February 1995
From the Internet, www.artnet.com
"ARTnews" magazine, April 1992Biography from Phillips London
Fiona Rae was born in 1963 in Hong Kong and spent part of her early life in Indonesia before moving to England, where she developed an internationally recognised career as a painter. Rae emerged as a leading figure in contemporary British art in the early 1990s, known for her dynamic, layered compositions that combine abstraction, gesture, and graphic elements. Her work reflects a sustained interest in the possibilities of painting, exploring complexity, rhythm, and visual energy.
Fiona Rae has presented major solo exhibitions at institutions across Europe and has been widely collected by museums and foundations. She was elected a Royal Academician in 2002, underscoring her significant contribution to contemporary painting. Rae’s work is held in prominent public collections in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States.
Exhibitions:
Fiona Rae, Kunsthalle Basel (1992)
Fiona Rae, ICA, London (1993–1994)
Fiona Rae, Carré d’Art – Musée d’Art Contemporain, Nîmes (2002)
Additional solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries internationally
Collections:
Tate, London
Albertina Museum, Vienna
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.
Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris
Additional public and private collections internationally