Rachel DuVall is an artist living and working in Los Angeles, California. She is known for her hand-woven textile artworks, which are characterized by their geometric compositions and use of natural colors.
In 2008, DuVall received her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her works pay homage to the complexity of color and form, creating a restrained but consistent dialogue with one another. She plays with visual impressions, using dimensional overlays to create different shapes and shading. In doing so, her work always conveys a sense of mindfulness, which she compares to the meditative process of weaving.
She takes a very straightforward and planned approach during her work process, as she reveals in an interview with TLMagazine: “My works are very process oriented; I make my sketches planning out the piece to the inch and keep everything rectilinear on the grid. This sketch or plan then lets me measure out how much-dyed material I need and how long and wide my warp should be; all of these calculations are done before the piece even gets onto the loom.”1
Through the repetition of lines and shapes in her work, she allows us to see subtle differences – such as the different tensions of each hand-woven line or the subtle changes in color through the use of hand-dyed fibers. These repetitions and patterns in her works convey a sense of calm, similar to the contemplative works of Agnes Martin.
Likewise, DuVall’s artistic practice is inseparable from the material she uses. She makes her works with linen, which in its subtle variations forms the basis for her compositions.
Her residency at the Josef & Anne Albers Foundation in early 2020 broadened her artistic horizons, allowing her to take a break from her regular work and try new techniques. During this residency, she created six works that were exhibited in 2021 at the Dobrinka Salzman Gallery in New York.
Rachel DuVall is an artist who works with mindfulness and depth, creating minimalist masterpieces that invite the viewer to contemplate. DuVall’s works reflect her deep understanding and appreciation for the art of weaving. Her beautiful compositions are not only an expression of her creative language but at the same time a reflection of her respectful approach and interpretation of the fabric.
