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About

Rachel Wojnar is a mixed media artist interested in queer ecology and healing. They received a BA in Art and Art History from McDaniel College in 2018 and an Interdisciplinary MFA from Hartford Art School in 2021. Rachel is based in western Maryland and has exhibited across the United States and in Ireland. They currently teach Art and Design as an Adjunct Lecturer at McDaniel College.

Artist Statement
My work explores the realms of ecological entanglement, biology, and naturalism as they relate to human experiences of community, transformation, joy, trauma, and healing. I am interested in ecological anecdotes as tools to understand ourselves, specifically recognizing parallels between systemic abuse of the environment and of women, trans, and queer bodies. I encode my experience as a queer and trans person living in Appalachia within images of natural phenomena. In this work, I connect the effects of invasive species with the overwhelming influence of heteronormativity, the process of metamorphosis with the experience of coming out, and cycles of decomposition and growth with my ever-changing understanding of identity.
 
Much of my practice revolves around place-based materiality, as I incorporate local natural materials to create sculpture, installation, handmade plant paper, and botanical pigments. The processes of foraging/harvesting, breaking down, and making anew play an important role in my practice, tying me to my ecosystem and supporting themes of ecological entanglement, sustainability, and healing in my work.
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