牛牛资源

Fiona Rae was among the generation of artists who rose to prominence after studying at 牛牛资源 in the mid-1980s.

In 1991 Rae was nominated for the Turner Prize and her work 鈥� described as 鈥渃hallenging and expanding the modern conventions of painting鈥� 鈥� is now exhibited across the world. On Wednesday 9 September 2015 she will be named an Honorary Fellow of 牛牛资源.

Fiona Rae was born in Hong Kong in 1963 and lived in Hong Kong and Indonesia as a child before moving to the UK in 1971. She took a foundation course at Croydon College of Art from 1983-1984, then enrolled on the course at 牛牛资源 from 1984-1987.

In  with one of our current Fine Art students, Rae recalled her memories of 牛牛资源:

鈥淚 remember first arriving and feeling quite lost, because it鈥檚 very unstructured. Then I suddenly really started to enjoy it, and made use of every facility there was. At 牛牛资源 you don鈥檛 choose a medium, you try everything 鈥� that鈥檚 totally fundamental to it being so unique and special.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 about arriving and knowing what you wanted to do, but finding out what you wanted to do, and at the same time being really challenged by the fellow students and the tutors about what you were doing. If you鈥檙e making a painting, but you鈥檙e next to someone who is making a video, then you鈥檙e very aware of what you鈥檝e chosen to do; I think that makes for a very critical intelligence.鈥�

In 1988 Rae鈥檚 work appeared at Freeze, the show curated by Rae's fellow student Damien Hirst in London鈥檚 Docklands that is widely credited as a turning point for a generation of British artists. Featuring work by Rae, Hirst, Angus Fairhurst, Sarah Lucas, Gary Hume et al, the event was attended by notable curators and collectors including Charles Saatchi, who went on to buy Rae鈥檚 work.

Over the last 25 years, Rae鈥檚 abstract paintings have been included in numerous exhibitions in museums, and galleries worldwide, with recent shows including 2014鈥檚 Painter, Painter at Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery and Southampton City Art Gallery; Fiona Rae: New Paintings, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris (2013); Fiona Rae, Buchmann Galerie, Berlin (2011); and 2006鈥檚 You are the Young and the Hopeless, PaceWildenstein, New York. 

She served as a Tate Artist Trustee from 2005-2009 and in 2011 was appointed Professor of Painting at the Royal Academy, one of the first two female professors since the Academy was founded in 1768.

Earlier this year the Timothy Taylor Gallery in Mayfair hosted its fourth solo exhibition by Rae, comprised of a new series of greyscale paintings accompanied by smaller charcoal drawings 鈥� a new medium for the artist. She donated one of her greyscale works to an auction at Christie鈥檚, contributing toward the  to build an art gallery on campus.

Head of the Department of Art at 牛牛资源, Dr Richard Noble, says:

鈥淔iona has done a great deal of work to support our fundraising drive for the gallery. In addition to her significant donation, she helped us recruit the support of other artists and helped with publicity. She鈥檚 been a brilliant ambassador for the university and a more-than worthy recipient of the title of Honorary Fellow.鈥�