By Isobel Rayson
2025
relief wood carving
45.8x12.1cm unframed
$580
ARTIST STATEMENT
Driven by process-based methodologies and material experimentation, the act of making is integral to Isobel Rayson’s practice. Approaching her work methodically through repetitious and often laborious processes, Rayson immerses herself within her practice, creating a sense of distance from the complexities of contemporary existence.
Throughout her work, she contemplates ideas of our fragile and impermanent nature, the passage of time, and the instinctive need to search for order and structure. Autobiographical references are interwoven within her works, shaping initial concepts as she draws from memory and personal experience.
This new series of woodblocks consists of fine, repetitive lines hand-carved through layers of paint, revealing the natural wooden surface underneath. These marks contrast against the monochromatic painted backgrounds, creating pattern, texture, and rhythm. The rounded, elongated forms resemble a nut, seed pod, or other protective structure.
BIO
Isobel Rayson is an Australian mid-career visual artist based in Carwoola, NSW. As a top-ranking graduate, Isobel was awarded First Class Honours from the Australian National University School of Art in 2014 and selected for the coveted Canberra Contemporary Artist in Residence award. Since graduating, Isobel is known for her highly finished and professional works presented across fifteen solo exhibitions. She regularly contributes and is invited to participate in group exhibitions in public and commercial galleries across Canberra, Melbourne, and Geelong. Isobel has been selected for local and international artist residencies, including a month-long residency and exhibition on Vancouver Island, Canada in 2019.
In 2024, Isobel received a Highly Commended Award for her entry in the Hornsby Art Prize and was recently announced as a finalist in the 2025 Blacktown City Art Prize and St Columba's Art Prize. Her work is held in private collections across Australia and Japan.