Rachel Kokko

I\'ve lived in California my entire life where I grew up watching my mother work in almost every art form imaginable. From ceramic and polymer clay sculpture, stained glass, fashion, toy design, handmade jewelry and quilting, she did everything except paint. It was she that pushed me to pursue my talent as an artist, to strive to be original, and where I was mostly influenced by art and its endless possibilities. I studied Illustration at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, a period of intense immersion into the world of design that impacted my gallery work to the fullest extent. I learned the rules of design, but more importantly, I discovered the rules that I could break. In 2005, I began exhibiting my work at group shows in Los Angeles and San Francisco. After much experimentation with mediums and materials, I landed on a signature, original technique using acrylic and paper on canvas that makes my paintings unique. I love to paint subject matter with a narrative, ideally something satirical or completely absurd, obscene, or sadistic. I know I\'ve done my job when I take a step back from the canvas and can\'t help but laugh at what has come from the depths of my imagination. During the day, I work in print advertising for film. I design, edit, and finish movie posters and billboards for most of the major film and animation studios like Disney, Pixar, and Fox. At night, I paint for every second of sanity I can get. www.RachelJWong.com