About
Rachel Blythe Udell works with fibrous materials to create biomorphic sculptures, embroidered textile collages, and installations. She is the recipient of a 2023 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for sculpture. Her recent solo show, Lush Morphology, was on view at The Delaware Contemporary in Wilmington, DE from February to May, 2024. In 2023, her installation, Hypnagogic Habitat, was exhibited at the Philadelphia International Airport. Udell has had a solo show at Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ and exhibited in three-person shows at the Perkins Center for the Arts, in Collingswood, NJ and The Arts & Innovation Center in Millville, NJ. She has created installations for the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation at Lemon Hill Mansion, as well as The Atlantic Highlands Arts Council Gallery in Monmouth County, NJ. Her work was selected for inclusion in the New Jersey Arts Annual in 2018 and the Fiber Philadelphia International Biennial in 2012. Udell graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in Art History, and has studied art and art therapy at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She lives and works in Mantua, New Jersey.
Statement
I make sculptures and embroidery collages from heirloom clothing, yarn, reclaimed fabrics, and other materials. The language of textiles is also that of connection, threading together identity, history, biology, and personal experience. As human beings, we are part of an interacting, breathing membrane, transmitting and receiving the stuff of life between social and psychological systems, ecosystems, solar and cosmic systems. We flow, physically and emotionally, into our surroundings. The materials I use have their own histories, sometimes directly linked to mine, as in the case of familial clothing, sometimes not. Organic patterns in vintage laces and other textiles speak to one another, and seem to pulse with life. Always trying to minimize waste, I bundle together the scraps and ends from my crochet and embroidery pieces, to form new soft sculptural bodies. In this way, my work process literally begets new work, reproducing like a live organism.
Short Documentary
about the artist’s current work
CV
Solo Shows
2024
The Delaware Contemporary, Wilmington, DE
2023
Philadelphia International Airport, Terminal A West, Philadelphia, PA
2020
Inliquid Vestibule at Old City Publishing, Philadelphia, PA
2014
The Shapes of My Dreams and of My Nightmares
Grounds For Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ
2013
Spring Forward: Contemporary Art in Historic Houses
Installation at Lemon Hill Mansion in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA
2-3 PERSON SHOWS
2024
Alternative Threads
Arts & Innovation Center at Rowan College of South Jersey, Millville, NJ
2021
Ariadne Slept Here
The Plastic Club, Philadelphia, PA
2015
Spaces Between
The Perkins Center For the Arts, Collingswood, NJ
Select Group Shows
2018
2018 Arts Annual Exhibition, New Jersey State Council on the Arts
Jurors: Ysable Pinyol, MANA Contemporary, Jodi Throckmorton, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Rowan University Art Gallery, Glassboro, NJ
2012
Outside/Inside the Box
Fiber Philadelphia International Biennial
Jurors: Elisabeth R. Agro, Bruce D. Hoffman and Judith Weisman
The Ice Box, Crane Art Center, Philadelphia PA, 2012
ART FAIRS
Jurors: Katie Henry, Art in Offices, Susan Nelly, The Villa America FIne Art, Ulysses Williams, ArtCrawl Harlem
Jersey City Armory, Jersey City, NJ, 2022
Additional Shows
2023
Strobe Signature Artists Exhibition
Arts & Innovation Center, Rowan College of South Jersey, Millville, NJ
Parktowne Place, Philadelphia, PA
2022
The Art of Whimsy: More Than Meets The Eye
1040 Creative, Philadelphia, PA
2021
Clique21
Perkins Center For The Arts, Collingswood, NJ
2020
Unprecedented Times
University City Science Center, Philadelphia, PA
Strobe Signature Artists
Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Millville, NJ
Fragile Beauty
Salem Art Bank, Salem, NJ
2019
New Now III
The Inliquid Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Interwoven
BSB Gallery, Trenton, NJ
2018
Knot Up To You
High Five Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Threads of My Identity
Atlantic Highlands Arts Council, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
The Earth Speaks
The Barron Art Center, Woodbridge, NJ
Opening Up
High Five Gallery, Philadelphia, PA,
2017
Mi Corazon
Eye’s Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2016
Growing Creativity
Jed Williams Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Stand With Standing Rock
Eris Temple Arts, Philadelphia, PA
3rd Annual Day of the Dead Show
Eye’s Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2015
Small Works
Da Vinci Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA,
2014
Flora Fauna
Jed Williams Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2013
Bigger Bits and Pieces
Metropolis Collective, Mechanicsburg, PA
2012
Jouissance:: Play
Et al Productions, New York, NY
Bits and Pieces
Metropolis Collective, Mechanicsburg, PA
A Taste of Trash
Metropolis Collective, Mechanicsburg, PA
Stitch Witchery
Nichols Berg Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
More Stitch Witchery
The Painted Bride, Philadelphia PA
Gender Games
International House, Philadelphia, PA
2011
The Ragdoll Project for Human Trafficking Awareness
Multiple locations, Philadelphia, PA
Synthetic Zero and {SØNiK} Fest
Bronx Art Space, New York, NY
Collaborate: Collaborator
Eris Temple Art Space, Philadelphia, PA
Women and Water
International House, Philadelphia, PA
3rd Street Gallery Invitational
3rd Street Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2010
Art for the Urban Collector
Highwire Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Plexus
Rocket Cat Café, Philadelphia, PA
Devotion
Highwire Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Women
International House, Philadelphia, PA
2009
Various and Sundry
The Skybox at 2424 Studios, Philadelphia, PA, 2009
Girls Gotta Run: Bodies In Motion
Holy Family University, Philadelphia, PA, 2009
2008
Grand Small Works
F.U.E.L. Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
auctions
2024
Inliquid Benefit Auction, Philadelphia PA
2022
Dawn's Palette: Virtual Art Auction Benefitting Survivors at Dawn's Place, Philadelphia, PA and virtual
2021
Inliquid Benefit Auction, Philadelphia, PA and virtual
Dawn's Palette: Virtual Art Auction Benefitting Survivors at Dawn's Place, Philadelphia, PA and virtual
MUSIC
2023
Songs for The Woods Are Real
Directed by Alix Lambert
2022
Soundtrack for The Lost Garden
Directed by Jeremy Newman
2020
Soundtrack for The Dreaming Biome
Directed by Jeremy Newman
film collaborations
2024
Co-direction (with Jeremy Newman) and soundtrack
Cosmic Rocks
Co-direction (with Jeremy Newman) and soundtrack
Flickerings
Co-direction (with Jeremy Newman) and soundtrack
Group Projects
2013
Crocheted contribution to Yarn Bombing Los Angeles, Installation at The Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2012
Crocheted contribution to Yarnbomb Consortium, Manchester, United Kingdom
Professional Affiliations
Inliquid.org, 2019-present
Strobenj.org 2018- present
The Womenʼs Caucus For Art, 2009-2012
Poetry
2020
“Tiny Bones” featured in Certain Circuits Magazine (virtual)
2012
“U (for Judy)” featured inCertain Circuits Issue 2.1 (print)
media and press
2023
Installation featured in catalogue for Art at the Airport: Celebration 25 Years, 2023
2020
Interview on “Pocket Dimension” and the pandemic, Inliquid.org, 2020
2019
Art and interview featured in Murze Magazine, Issue 9
2016
Featured Artist, Textiel Plus
2014
Featured Artist, Knotwe.com
Artwork featured in documentary film, A Cosmos of Patterns by Jeremy Newman
2013
Embroideries featured in short film, Splendor, by Jeremy Newman
2012
Friday picture post – Outside/Inside the Box at the Icebox, The Art Blog
News post – Marrone memorial planned, NextFab 3D prints an electro video, Rachel Udell at GFS, Corcoran changes, opportunities and more., The Art Blog, 2014
At FiberPhiladelphia’s ‘Outside/Inside the Box’ show, it’s all touchy-feely , Amy S. Rosenberg, Philadelphia Inquirer
2010
Featured Artist , Manufactured Dissent
Featured Artist , Philadelphia Womenʼs Caucus for Art
Professional Development
2017
Creative Capital Professional Development Program
Education
2006-2007
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL,
Graduate studies in Art Therapy
1998
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Arts in Art History, Summa Cum Laude