Her work has been described as ‘evocative’ and ‘untamed’, and as an artist, she is influenced by disruption and rebellion; but the sensory beauty that Alisha Rich embeds into her work is sublime. Inspired by a subject’s inner heroine, her work always begins with a hero colour: her hair, the glint of gold in an eye; or turquoise bleeding into wine, an undecided abstraction.
Colour-driven, feminine, emotive, her heroines hold innate power within their cloud-soft contours. Theirs is a delicacy backed by powerful resolve, and as is evident in their gaze, each is astoundingly striking.
Based in Sydney, Alisha works with watercolours, charcoal, inks and spray paint, describing the wild tendencies these mediums have on paper: “you never know just what [they] are going to do… Returning to a work to see what the pigments have created is magical”.
Alisha says her inspiration changes each day, but it spans every element of her life: a stolen moment in a graff-scarred lane; unexpected peals of music; or someone’s profile in transit: “I wonder who they might be, or how they might act in a fantasy world…”
Taught by her grandfather when she was a child, Alisha’s portraiture is inspired by and influenced by Archibald-winning artist Cherry Hood, and its stunning intensity forms the pinnacle to an already impressive career that also includes installation art, immersive environments and set design, event styling and so much more.
Awards & Recognition
Sass and Bide MBFW 2017: set design
Ephemeral Cloud Installation Art series with Nic Walker 2020 for ‘Press Play’ Immersive Event for Merivale/ City of Sydney 2022
Collaborations
Christopher Esber, David Jones, Veuve Clicquot, Moet Hennessy, Campari, Saba, sass & bide, Myer, Veronika Maine, Chanel, Zegna, Apple, Armani, Marcs, Oroton, Morrissey, Converse, Quicksilver, Tigerlily, Vans