Rachel Hendel

Rachel Hendel is an artist from West Des Moines, Iowa. Her goal when creating art is to make something her younger self would have enjoyed - colorful, fun, and whimsical. Sometimes humor plays a role, too. With a childhood dream of being an author, she longs to create and capture diverse stories. She is queer and disabled/chronically ill which makes her very adamant about inclusivity in her work. Those facets of her identity bleed into everything she does. The lack of stories that focus on people like her is motivation to be that change in the world. Alongside character focused images, Rachel dabbles in many things including design, interactive sculptures, and writing.

When thinking about the future she can see herself illustrating novels, middle grade or higher. Even books for adults because everyone deserves pictures. Perhaps she would write them, too. Rachel’s thesis, Tropes: a Queer Romance Zine, is centered on exploring this concept. It brings together all of her interests and goals into one place. The idea of creating physically interactive works is very intriguing to her as well. Maybe something educational, like a museum exhibition but more artsy and fun. Whatever she ends up doing, she knows that it will feed the creativity goblin in her brain.

EMAIL: rachelehendel@gmail.com

INSTAGRAM : @cyraofthesea