Rachel Gonzalez

Age 32

Rachel’s art career began at a young age.  Born in Brooklyn, New York to a mother who was an ice skater/French chef/nurse and a father who was a boxer/jewler Rachel had a very eclectic upbringing.  Growing up attending operas, theater’s , and shows as well as frequent visits to museum and galleries.  The family relocated for a short moment to Tulsa, Oklahoma were Rachel started her own Ice skating career accompanied by dancing yet her mother always recognized her love for art.

At age 8 Rachel started drawing classes first working with pencils and then moving on to pastels.  After a few short years the Gonzalez family moved back east to New Jersey were Rachel continued to skate and draw.  As the years went on visual arts had taken over her performance arts.  Throughout her high school years Rachel played with various different mediums; charcoal, pencils, acrylics on to clay and photography .  She moved on to get her BFA in Philadelphia at the University of the Arts were she broadened her horizons with her mediums branching out into painting with oils and sculpting with stone as well as various other mix mediums.  She had also had a few mural jobs for cafes.  However her main subject matter stayed true to her childhood influences of moving with the body with an abstract twist.  Rachel’s University portfolio focused on sculpture and photography with a focus on installation art.  During her final years of schooling Rachel participated in a few group shows throughout Philadelphia.

After completing her degree Rachel became an artist in residence at Kalani Honua in Hawaii, were she built sculpture and photography studios and created and lead sculpting and photography workshops for Women’s art week adventures as well as adding to her own portfolio.  After a short time Rachel moved on to becoming the General Manager of Kalani Honua, a retreat center for various creative outlets.  She continued to manage this retreat center for three years.  During the last year of management Rachel started apprenticing at the near by tattoo studio, which was the start of her new career. Now years later Rachel is tattooing and creating in Maui as well as the other outer islands and international locations.  You can find Rachel at Maui Atomic Tattoo if you would like a piece of her permanent art as well as local Hawaiian gallery locations.