Rachel Brownlee

Nebraska

Rachel Brownlee, born and raised in western Nebraska, brings an intense and genuine portrayal of the American West to life. A deceivingly heightened photorealistic approach to both her aesthetics and the representations of her subjects challenges the idealizations of the West.

Brownlee taught herself the skills of drawing by creating her own life studies on her family’s cattle ranch. Despite honing her artistic skills, she received a degree in Computer Science from the University of Nebraska in Omaha, even starting her own company creating cattle management software. But her undeniable talents led her to pursue her career as an artist.

Brownlee provides an authentic and equitable voice to those who often found their lives romanticized. Her work provides intimate glimpses into the thrills and excitement of the living West, but also depicts the hardships, the struggles, and the suffering that these individuals and animals endure. Today she lives on her cattle ranch with her family, allowing her daily life on the ranch to become seamlessly interwoven with her artistic practice.