Rachel Anderson, Canton
Member Since July 2010
Artist Statement Rachel is a young lady fascinated by nature from a very early age. Her grandmother, Panamanian artist Julieta Montoya Biggs, noticed that at the age of five she began drawing everything caught by her eyes in order to express her emotions; paper and crayons became then her best friends, wherever she went. Initially, as a result of this growing fascination, she took oleo and pastel classes, but drawing about science, animals and the environment became her passion. Although her unusual designs were inspired by the indigenous (Kuna) mola Panamanian art and the pre-Colombian art of the batea, brought into Panama many years ago, her art is exceptionally authentic and detailed, it represents her own vision about the world that moves around her. You cannot kill a bee in front of Rachel without any researched justified reason; she will give you a long lecture about its biological purpose on earth. Rachel’s drawings are indeed a unique combination of her own cultural backgrounds: scientific appreciation for life and the sensitivity to express it, understand it and respect it.
