Over the weekend, floral studio MC Nino Designs (65 West St.) hosted a pop-up art show with works by local artist and Greenpoint resident Rachel Walker. Walker’s first exhibition at the flower studio started on Friday, September 2 and was on display until Sunday, September 4.
The exhibition showcased Walker’s watercolors, drawings and some of her large paintings from her Phantasm installation, plus floral displays from MC Nino Designs. In fact, Maria Christina Nino, the owner of MC Nino Designs, made a complimentary bouquet of flowers for everyone who purchased one of Walker’s works.
Rachel Walker is a Greenpoint-based figurative painter with an MFA in painting. Her work is focused on somber narratives of female figures, which she has been painting since 2019. “That is now my main theme,” Walker said of the ghostly creations.
Walker told Greenpointers that she has been painting otherworldly ethereal figures for many years. She developed a narrative tapping into the spirit world and other dimensions. “I don’t make a sketch. I let the figures come out of the work,” explained Walker.
Walker attributes this type of work to an unusual childhood. She was homeschooled with three sisters, growing up in a quiet, insular world driven by women. She didn’t have any brothers and has not been driven by male figures.
She also believes that she has encountered ghosts. “I’ve always been kind of spooky,” laughed Walker, “and I have seen ghosts and had ghost experiences.” Walker believes that the spirit world exists around us whether we can perceive it or not.
The Phantasm installation, the largest piece of artwork that was on display at MC Nino, is currently Walker’s favorite work. It was done on Yupo paper, which is actually not paper, but thin plastic. Walker said that Yupo is a great material for a beginning artist, and she loves working with it.
Walker told Greenpointers that the exhibition at MC Nino was a big success. “It’s been really fun to meet people in the neighborhood,” she said. “I sold a good amount of work. It’s been encouraging.”
In addition to being an artist, Walker is a proud Greenpoint resident and dog owner. She told Greenpointers, “I have lived in Greenpoint for five years and can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Walker also explained how the collaboration with MC Nino came to life. Walker met Nino, the same way most people do…through her dog. Walker has an adorable dog named Fox. When Fox was a puppy, the duo strolled by Nino’s store and struck up not only a conversation, but a friendship. “She has been so supportive of me,” said Walker about Nino. “She encouraged me to do something in her space.”
During the exhibition, Nino told Greenpointers that she is looking to showcase other local artists in the future, and encourages them to reach out to her. Her studio is an exciting and gorgeous backdrop for many different types of art. “You guys perform, and I’ll enjoy the ride,” laughed Maria.