Rachel Milne was born in 1978 in Cambridge, England and moved to Newcastle in 2013. Rachel studied at Cardiff University, UK and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Fine Art Painting, in 2000. Before leaving, Milne exhibited regularly at the Royal West of England Academy.
In 2013, Rachel was awarded the Singleton Portrait Prize and received highly commended in the Newcastle Emerging Artist Awards. In the past eight years she has been a finalist in the Wynne Prize (twice), the Fleurieu Biennale, Kilgour and Tattersall Landscape prizes, the Portia Geach Memorial Award and the Salon des Refusés amongst others. After a well received solo show at the Newcastle Art Gallery in 2021, she went on to win the 2022 Muswellbrook Painting Prize (acquisitive) and the Evelyn Chapman Award.
Rachel’s work Woodshed (2023) was selected for the Salon des Refusés in 2023. She was also selected as the winner of the sixth annual Vincent Prize in 2023 with her work Shower (2023).
In 2018 Rachel’s work was featured in ‘A Painted Landscape’ by Amber Creswell Bell, published by Thames and Hudson. Rachel’s work was also featured in the 2021 publication ‘From Life’ by Amber Creswell Bell.
She also has work in the collections of Bathurst, Newcastle, Muswellbrook and Maitland Regional Art Galleries.
Rachel Milne currently works and lives in Newcastle, NSW. Rachel has been represented by King Street Gallery since 2015.
‘I am a painter who works from life alla prima in oil on board. I paint with a focus on light and seeing the beauty in the everyday… In some senses, I am a documentary painter in that my work documents my experiences, some that happened to me, some involving residencies I have sought out.’ – Milne, Rachel
Artist: Rachel Milne Camera/Editor: Erling Gronhaug (Duke's Creations) Producer: Newcastle Art Gallery Courtesy Newcastle Art Gallery
This VFA Film features Rachel Milne painting at the former David Jones Gallery where she completed a six week artist in residence in early 2015.
2023
Small works, Straitjacket Gallery Newcastle, NSW
A Room of One’s Own, Women in Still Life, Bett Gallery, Hobart, TAS
2021
Personal Space King Street Gallery on William, Sydney, NSW
Nest Newcastle Art Gallery, Newcastle, NSW
2019
From life King Street Gallery on William
2017
Two Years On King Street Gallery on William
After Olley Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Bathurst, NSW
2015
Rachel Milne: Painter King Street Gallery on William
The Renewal of David Jones former David Jones Store, Newcastle, NSW
2014
Interiors Newcastle Art Space, Newcastle
2023
Introductions | Portraits from the MRAG Collection, Maitland, NSW
Salon des Refuses S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Vincent Prize [winner]
2022
Evelyn Chapman Award [winner]
Muswellbrook Painting Prize [winner]
2020
Reconnected: a recovery story Museum of Art and Culture Lake Macquarie, NSW
Salon des Refuses S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2019
Portia Geach Memorial Award, S.H. Ervin Gallery
Inside/outside King Street Gallery on William
2018
Fleurieu Biennale SA
Tattersalls Club Landscape Prize Qld
Kilgour Art Prize Newcastle Art Gallery, NSW
The Wynne Prize Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
2017
The Wynne Prize Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
2016
Kilgour Art Prize Newcastle Art Gallery
Calleen Art Award Cowra Regional Art Gallery, Cowra, NSW
Plein Air Painting Prize Parliament House, Sydney
Fleurieu Prize [Still Life Section], SA
Portia Geach Prize S.H Ervin Gallery, NSW
Art & Dementia Maitland Regional Art Gallery, NSW
M16 Drawing Prize Canberra, ACT
Curve Gallery, Newcastle, NSW
Artist in Residence at Hill End, Haefligers Cottage
2015
Plein Air Painting Prize Parliament House, Sydney
Salon des Refuses S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2014
Kilgour Art Prize Newcastle Regional Gallery
Newcastle University Acquisitive Prize University Gallery
Calleen Art Award Cowra Regional Art Gallery, NSW
2013
Newcastle Emerging Artist Awards Newcastle Art Space, NSW
Singleton Portrait Prize [WINNER] Singleton Civic Centre
2012
Open Exhibition Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
2011
Young Artist of the Year The Biscuit Factory Foundation, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
159 Autumn Show Royal West of England Academy
Jamaica Street Studios Exhibition Royal West of England Academy
2010
Holbourne Portrait Prize Holbourne Museum, Bath, UK
Open Painting Exhibition Royal West of England Academy
2009
Autumn Exhibition Royal West of England Academy
2008
Autumn Exhibition Royal West of England Academy
Glories of the Gorge Exhibition Innocent Fine Art, Clifton, Bristol
2007
Orange Christmas Edgar Modern, Bath
Mortal The Old Pro Cathedral Clifton, Bristol
Autumn Affordable Art Fair Battersea Park London
2004
Open Painting Exhibition Royal West of England Academy
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, NSW
Maitland Regional Art Gallery, NSW
Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, NSW
Newcastle Art Gallery, NSW
Royal Marriott Hotel, Bristol, UK
Theological College, Bristol, UK
Sydney Morning Herald
April 14, 2023
ArtsHub Online
2019
Representation of 'the bridging & rebuilding of cultures' wins Kilgour Prize People's Choice
Newcastle Art Gallery publication
8 October 2018
The Kilgour Prize by numbers: 31 finalists, 5 locals, 3 judges by Jim Kellar
The Newcastle Herald Online
July 2018
From Herbert Badham to Matthew Martin: the fine art of drawing & painting pools by Therese Spruhan
swimmingpoolstories.com blog
2018
Maitland Mercury
22 January 2015
Artist Rachel Milne inspired by Archibald Prize exhibition by Belinda-Jane Davis
Newcastle Herald
27 January 2015
