Racquel Rowe
Artist Statement
Racquel Rowe is an interdisciplinary artist who works across various mediums. She considers performative action as a form of exploratory, open-ended research that is constantly evolving. Action and then causation are a common method of research for her; essentially working backwards. She is often compelled to do things and then spends a long time investigating and contextualizing what it is that possess her to do them. After a performance, rather than before she finds herself uncovering deep rooted memories of home that become stronger the more a performance is repeated.
Exploring the notion of compulsory visibility and subverting dominant ideologies, Rowe’s practice embraces the differences and similarities between the various Black experiences across the Diaspora. Engaging in critical conversations around race, migration, and colonialism, furthers her own ability to understand and break away from colonial representations. Rowe’s practice is largely influenced by her surroundings, for example being in Barbados for extended periods of time, allows her to expand into new environments, researching and performing within familial and community structures. What does it mean to live in a tourist destination? A place represented as an escape, a dream, not reality, and how does this effect its local population? And what does it mean to be exploring this in the middle of the Canadian winter, away from home. These are the questions Rowe is continuously grappling with.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
2021 MFA University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
2019 BA Honours Studio Art and History, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
2015 Associates Degree Law, English Literature and History, Barbados Community College, St. Michael, Barbados
Solo Exhibitions
2023 untitled, Centre3, Hamilton, Ontario
2023 The Chicken Is Just Dead First, Artsplace Artist Run Centre, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
2023 untitled, Optica Centre D’Art Contemporain, Montreal, Quebec
2023 Bodies of Water, Southwest Scene, Museum London, London, Ontario
2023 Saltwater Cures All, Gallery Gachet, Vancouver, British Columbia
2022 Add Sugar to Taste, Scarborough Museum, Scarborough, Ontario
2022 Multiple States of Being, Struts Gallery, Sackville, New Brunswick
2021 The Chicken Is Just Dead First, University of Waterloo Art Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario
2019 Sitophilia, Boarding House Gallery, Guelph, Ontario
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023 BLACK(Cite), Gallery TPW, curated by Rinaldo Walcott, Toronto, Ontario
2022 Future Forward, Queens Park Gallery, Bridgetown, Barbados
2022 RE: PLACE, Union House Arts, Port Union, Newfoundland
2021 Show. 21, Cambridge Art Galleries, Cambridge, Ontario
2021 InterAccess Vector Festival, Toronto, Ontario
2021 Temporary Collection, Ed Video Media Arts Center, Guelph, Ontario
2021 Proud Deviants and Queer Multiples, Hamilton, Ontario
2021 WATBD x WNW Working Not Working, virtual exhibition
2020 Lumen @ Home, Lumen Festival, Waterloo, Ontario
2019 MFA First Year Show, The Artery, Waterloo, Ontario
2019 This idea was given to me by a thousand people (who are those people), Boarding House Gallery, Guelph, Ontario
2019 JAS (Juried Art Show), Zavitz Gallery, Guelph, Ontario
2019 Art Store, Zavitz Gallery, University of Guelph, Ontario
2019 Bonhomie, Zavitz Gallery and The Project Space, University of Guelph, Ontario
2018 Group Performance, Chimichurri, Zavitz Gallery, University of Guelph, Ontario
2018 Panty Dropper, Zavitz Gallery, University of Guelph, Ontario
2018 Group Show 1, Bunker2 x Black Artist Union, Toronto, Ontario
2018 JAS (Juried Art Show) Top 10, Boarding House Gallery, Guelph, Ontario
2017 Collective Memory, Boarding House Gallery, Guelph, Ontario
Selected Screenings + Performances
2023 Bodies of Water, Media City Film Festival, Windsor, Ontario
2023 Members Screening, Ed Video Media Arts Centre, Guelph, Ontario
2022 Fruit Loops II: Too Fruity Too Loopy, Struts Gallery & Gallery Sans Nom, Sackville & Moncton, New Brunswick
2022 Clubhouse T.V, Alice Street Clubhouse, Guelph, Ontario
2022 Low Hanging Fruit, Ed Video Media Arts Centre, Guelph, Ontario
2021 Video Fever, Trinity Square Video & Vtape, Toronto, Ontario
2021 Black History Month Blow Out, BLM Nogojiwanong, virtual
2019 Performance with P*llory edition II, Toronto, Ontario
2019 Performance, Through the Body/With the Body, Gallery La Centrale, Montreal, Quebec
Curatorial
2024 Guest Curator, Artspeak Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia
Public Installations
2021 Untitled mural, commissioned by City of Waterloo, Uptown Parkade, Waterloo, Ontario
2020 Remember To, Halls Lane, CAFKA, Waterloo, Ontario
Residences & Fellowships
2022 Femme Folks Fest, Pat the Dog Theatre Creation, Waterloo, Ontario
2021 PXR BIPOC Fellowship, Single Thread Theatre Company, Vancouver, British Columbia
2021 Soul Pepper x Awakenings “A Revolution of Love” Mentorship Program, Soul Pepper Theatre Company, Toronto, Ontario
2019 Through the Body / With the Body, La Centrale Galerie Powerhouse, Montreal, Quebec
Artist Talks + Panel discussions
2022 Land, Union House Arts, Port Union, Newfoundland
2022 Multiple States of Being, Sackville, New Brunswick
2021 The Chicken Is Just Dead First, University of Waterloo Art Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario
2021 Panelist. Vector Festival, InterAccess, Toronto, Ontario
Publications
2022 Racquel Rowe, Family Relations: Sites of Resistance, review of Table Manors- Kareem-Anthony Ferreira, Hamilton Artists Inc
2021 Holly Timpenter, P*llOry *there is dissonance and density within my body, print.
2021 Carrie Perrault, The Artist Cookbook vol 2., print.
2021 Jenna Chase, How to Make a Queer Counter Public, print.
2019 Specialized Studio, This idea was given to me by a thousand people, University of Guelph, print.
2019 Racquel Rowe, editor. X-Rated Colouring Books for Adults. Rowe, print.
2018 Kaleidoscope Undergraduate Literary and Art Magazine, University of Guelph, Issue 12, print.
Teaching + Research Positions
2024 Sessional Lecturer, Arts First, University of Waterloo, Colour Theory
2023 Researcher Assistant, University of Waterloo, The Art, Science & History of Colour, Common Cartridge project
2022 Sessional Lecturer, University of Waterloo, FINE 100 Studio Fundamentals
2021 Assistant Professor, Painting I, Intermediate Painting I, Drawing II, 1st Year Open Media, 3rd Year Seminar, Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick
2020 Teaching Assistant, Fine Arts, The Art, Science & History of Colour, FINE 204/ INTEG 275 (the late Dr. Linda Carson), University of Waterloo
2020 Graduate Research Assistant, project Borderline: Mapping Urban Data, Jessica Thompson
2020 Instructor, Appreciation & Expression Studio FINE 150, Instructor, University of Waterloo
2019 Teaching Assistant, Fine Arts, Studio Foundations, FINE 100 (Bruce Taylor), University of Waterloo
Selected Professional Service
2022 Guest Critic, Specialized Studio (4th year), University of Guelph
2022 Juror, Artist Microgrants, Struts Gallery, Sackville
2022 Hiring Committee, Programming Coordinator, Struts Gallery, Sackville
2021 Fine Arts Chair Nominating Committee, University of Waterloo
2021 Board member, Ed Video Media Arts Centre, Guelph
2019 Zavitz Gallery Coordinator, School of Fine Art and Music, University of Guelph
2019 Juror, Art in the Bullring, University of Guelph
2019 Gallery Co-coordinator, Fine Art Network, University of Guelph
Awards + Grants
2023 Region of Waterloo Micro Grant, Waterloo, Ontario
2021 Sylvia Knight Award in Fine Arts, University of Waterloo
2021 ARTS Senate Graduate Scholarship, University of Waterloo
2020 Keith & Win Shantz International Research Scholarship, University of Waterloo
2019 Fine Arts Graduate Scholarship, University of Waterloo
2019 International Master’s Award of Excellence (IMAE), University of Waterloo
2019 Faculty Award, 51st Annual Juried Art Show, University of Guelph
2018 Jurors Prize (1st place), 50th Annual Juried Art Show, University of Guelph
2015 Scholarship for Excellence in English Literature, Barbados Community College
Press
2022 RE: PLACE, Union House Arts
2022 Multiple States of Being, Struts Gallery
2021 Show.21, Cambridge Art Galleries, Idea Exchange
2021 The Chicken Is Just Dead First, University of Waterloo Art Gallery
2018 The Ontarion, Juried Art Show Celebrates Student Artists