Q&A with Rachelle Dusting
UWA Fine Arts graduate (2012)
Rachelle graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hon) from UWA and a Graduate Certificate for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from Notre Dame University in 2021. Her studio is based at Goolugatup Heathcote Precinct, where she works on commissions, exhibition projects and tutors privately.
Since graduating, Rachelle has spent time teaching at UWA, running visual art incursions across schools in WA, and working with global organisations like Watoto International. Her works span several genres, from realistic oil painting to stylised large-scale public artworks. In 2019 Rachelle was selected as the tendered artist for City of Canning's first Developer Funded Public Art and recently for public art works in the City of Gosnells and City of Cockburn.
Rachelle is a current member of the Mandorla Art Award committee, overseeing the role of social media management. Rachelle's vision is to make a greater contribution towards Australia’s creative culture and uplift the art community.
What aspects of working in fine art do you most enjoy?
My passion is people and my artworks are a vehicle for sharing people’s stories. I am also passionate about teaching. I believe the world is in need of great artists who are also great teachers. I hope to contribute towards the equipping of emerging visual artists in Perth and throughout the broader arts community.
What’s the most interesting aspect of your career?
The fact that every month looks different. My style of work stems from the same skill set but can take on many different forms and expressions, which means the versatility within my scope of work often changes depending on the client and what kind of work I feel convicted to create at the time.
Reflecting on your time at UWA, what experiences were most important for your development?
One of the most impacting experiences of my studies was being able to study abroad. This created a greater sense of community for me and my peers, and enlarged my capacity to dream of things outside the walls of the studio in which I created. Also getting to know the art practice of my lecturers and the legacy of some of their works within the art industry made me hopeful and feel inspired to develop my own art practice and choose this as a career.
My studies at UWA provided the structure I needed to take my future art profession seriously and to believe in the art I was making. All-hour access to the fine art studios meant I could implement my own schedule, which fuelled my sense of discipline and the desire to create. Through various project briefs and peer/lecturer reviews, my time at UWA built in me a greater sense of conviction in why I create the type of art I make.
