Bio
Originally from Montreal, Rachelle Chinnery has lived in British Columbia since 1995. After studying Languages and Linguistics, Rachelle went to gain teaching experience in Japan where a one-year stay became a four-year odyssey.
The clay culture in Japan set her irrevocably on the ceramic path. After four years of part-time apprenticeship in Tokyo, Yokohama and Kitakyushu, she came back to Canada to study at the Sheridan College of Art and Design in Oakville, Ontario, and later at the Emily Carr School of Art and Design. She now makes her home on Hornby Island, B.C.
The nature of British Columbia, specifically the west coast of Vancouver Island, is the central influence in her work. Her sculptural vessels and carved functional ware emulate forms found in nature, particularly on the beaches of the exposed coast. An avid kayaker, Rachelle goes on extended yearly pilgrimages into the ocean wilderness with her husband Doug. These trips are the well source of her inspiration.
Rachelle’s work has been featured three times in Ceramics Art and Perception, and in several books on contemporary ceramics, including historian Gail Crawford’s book ‘Studio Ceramics in Canada’. A sculpture from her porcelain and bronze ‘Flores’ series was selected for the Sydney Myer International Fund ceramic exhibition in Shepparton, Australia. This same piece was later acquisitioned by the Shepparton Art Gallery for its permanent collection.
Rachelle was one of 10 North Americans juried into the 3rd Biennial World Ceramic Exposition in Icheon, Korea. She was awarded Honourable Mention for her three piece tea set in this competition. The International Ceramic Exposition Foundation, in Icheon Korea, acquired the tea set for its permanent collection. In 2007 Rachelle was a recipient of the British Columbia Creative Achievement Award. In 2009 her work was selected for exhibition at the Post Modern Ceramics Exhibition in Varazdin, Croatia. She was a finalist in the 2009 NICHE Awards, and, recently, her work was nominated among the finalists of the 2010 NICHE Awards in Philadelphia.