About the Artist

Rachel Isadora (b. 1953) is a painter living in both New York and France. Ms. Isadora exhibits her works internationally, including solo shows at Liss Gallery in Toronto.

Raised in Manhattan in the Lower East Side enclave of Knickerbocker Village, Ms. Isadora was exposed early on to the arts, developing a love of painting and dance that has shaped the trajectory of her life. Among her childhood memories, Ms. Isadora recalls visiting the Soho studios of Jackson Pollock, Elaine De Kooning, Lee Krasner, and Moses Sawyer, among many others, alongside her mother. 

These studio visits, along with the creative influences of her uncle, the artist Joe Lasker (1919-2015), have remained with her throughout her development as an artist. After being advised by her uncle against pursuing a formal art school education, Ms. Isadora has been a diligent student of art history, independently becoming fluent in the works and techniques of the artists who have come before her, while constantly experimenting with new media and methods.

Dance, which appears as a core theme in her work, has had an equally powerful influence on her style and choice of subject matter. Ms. Isadora began the study of dance at the age of six, first at the New York Dance Group, and then at the School of American Ballet, where she trained with George Balanchine, along with dancers from the Ballets Russes, the Royal Danish Ballet, and the New York City Ballet. After seven years of study, Ms. Isadora embarked on a career, performing with the New York City Ballet and Boston Ballet.

Now, working from her art studio, Ms. Isadora continues her exploration of dance, in a style driven by movement and fueled by a sense of musicality and improvisation. Her process often begins with a song selection, and from there her imagination guides the brush, as she applies the paint with a sense of dynamism and vitality. In paint, Ms. Isadora finds a sense of freedom and creativity not afforded by the rigor and formalism of dance — an outlet for pure and uninhibited expression.

Ms. Isadora is also a celebrated author and illustrator of more than 150 childrens books. Her book, Ben’s Trumpet, received a Caldecott Honor.