Abbey Rich is a public and exhibiting artist based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia. Their work predominantly looks at gender, pattern and environment, with a particular interest in accessible and community co-designed public art making. Their work intends to be easily approachable, to be welcoming and appeal to many people through colour, pattern and warmth.

Abbey was born on Boon Wurrung Land, Frankston and currently lives/works on Wurundjeri Land, Inner north of Melbourne.

My career has been wide ranging, I started as a textile designer and I started my own clothing label when I was 20. So, for a couple of years, I was running a clothing label, doing fashion weeks, and making everything in-house. But I found it really difficult to enjoy. There were a lot of ethical questions, and a lot of things I couldn’t quite reconcile.

Then someone asked me to paint a mural about 5 and a half years ago, and I was like “Yes please, that sounds fun.” Having not really painted that much in my life, I really loved it. And then made steps to move over to mostly doing murals, and push into public art. For about 2-3 years now I’ve been pushing into sculpture and exploring different materiality to create objects with depth and joy.

I’ve done lots of different things. I was tattooing for a while, and trying to figure out what made sense for me. I’ve been a full time artist for nearly 9 years, and at 29 now, I’m very grateful to be where I’m at now. I’ve had a lot of people help me along the way, and I learnt everything from other people, as opposed to school, and doing it the more traditional way.

Solo Exhibition

2023  ‘Paths that don’t go where people want them to go’ MARS, Melbourne
2022  ‘when nothing makes sense,’ Platform Arts, Geelong
2021 Bright Texture,’ Capsule, City of Melbourne

Group Show

2023  ‘To Move Through’ University of Newcastle Gallery, Newcastle NSW
2023 ‘Endless in both directions’ Divisions Gallery, Coburg

Residency/Creative Development

2022(ongoing)  Macquarie Arts Centre Yapang, Sculpture Park, Sculptural Development
2021 Test Sites, City of Melbourne, Public Art Development (3 months)
2021 Platform Lab, Creative Development Residency, Geelong (7 months)
2021 Testing Grounds, Creative Development Residency (1 month)

Abbey’s paintings and sculptures are held in private collections across Australia and the UK.

Select Commissions

2023 Big Picture Festival, Frankston, Collaboration with Olana Janfa, Mural Design and Installation VIC
2023 World Pride Sydney, Authority Creative, Mural Design and Installation, Circular Quay NSW
2023  MARS Gallery, Mural Collaboration with Atong Atem, VIC
2022 Authority Creative, ISPT, Karingal Hub Art Trail, Ground Mural  Design and Installation VIC
2022 Australian Open Beach House Pavillion, Mural/Decal Design VIC
2021 Immigration Museum, ‘Being Mirka’ Mural/Decal Design VIC
2021 Kingston City Council, Mural Design and Installation with Beci Orpin VIC

Solo Exhibition

2019 ‘He Killed 9000 Butterflies GoodSpace,’ Sydney 2017 ‘I Learnt More from You than I Learnt in School,’ No Vacancy, Melbourne
2016 ‘Lifeblood,’ Enough Space, Melbourne

Group Exhibition

2022 ‘Coast to Coast,’ Saint Cloche, Sydney

2021 ‘Arise,’ Oigall Projects, Melbourne

2021 ‘Locker Room Talk,’ No Vacancy, Melbourne
2018 ‘Paper,’ Neon Parlour, Melbourne
2018 ‘All We Can’t See – Illustrating the Nauru Files.’ Fortyfive Downstairs, Melbourne
2018 ‘Matter Arts 1,’ Neon Parlour, Melbourne
2017 ‘Comfort Zone’ as part of Craft Cubed, Toast Workroom, Melbourne
2017 ‘InCommon’ as part of Craft Cubed, Guild of Objects, Melbourne