Rebecca Wasilewski is a disabled, multidisciplinary artist working in painting, drawing, printmaking, video and photography. Consistent conceptual and visual themes run throughout her diverse work, including: pushed abstraction of representational imagery; shifting micro- and macroscopic perspectives; universal interconnectedness; being wholly present in each moment; and the wonder and degradation of our natural world.
She holds a BFA in Painting with a minor in Printmaking from Boston University. Her work is in private collections across the country and abroad. Outside her studio, Rebecca has professional experience as a teaching artist, letterpress printer, installation artist, and graphic designer. She also enjoys participating in community-based public art projects.
Currently, her involvement in the arts and any life outside of the home is extremely limited. She is disabled by multiple, complex chronic illnesses and a genetic disorder. She can no longer hold a job, take commissions, or even complete her personal work without assistance. From the past physicality of drawings, oil paintings, and unique artist books, work has adapted to include more photography and digital processes. Neither her physical nor cognitive stamina can tolerate more than a few hours of work on her absolute best days, which are rare. Everything happens in starts and stops, with countless, in-progress projects littering the house and filling up hard drives. Single pieces are finished in their own time, and she is often too unwell to attend events when her work is shown.
Despite frequent, complete debilitation, her existence and her craft persist. The work is an invitation to communicate with you in the most deep and intimate way. Though she is rarely present in person these days and often can’t even be reached on the phone, to engage with her work is to have a conversation with her, and to own a piece of her work is to be with her.