Rachel Gao is a Chinese born ink artist based in Ireland who finds extraordinary stories in ordinary objects. Working primarily with pen and ink on handmade paper, she transforms everyday domestic items - teapots, kitchen utensils, pottery vessels - into intricate celebrations of cultural memory and heritage. Her work explores the concept of “cultural preservation through domesticity,” honoring the objects that hold our deepest family traditions and memories. Each drawing is created through meticulous line works and decorative patterning, influenced by both Harry Clarke’s intricate line work and traditional folk art motifs.

Based in Ireland, she draws inspiration from the domestic objects that surround us - the grandmother’s teapot that still serves Sunday tea, the wooden spoons worn smooth by generations of use, the pottery that holds not just food but stories of family gatherings and quiet moments. These humble objects become vessels for exploring themes of inheritance, tradition, and the poetry hidden in daily life.

Her current series include “In Time,” which examines how domestic objects carry forward traditions from past to future generations, and “Stories We Collect,” celebrating the unique character found in well-loved household items.