ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM

A vibrant Artist in Residence program will transform Brisbane Powerhouse across 2026–2027, as celebrated artist Rachel Burke brings her signature world of texture, nostalgia and joyful making to the venue.

Known for her exuberant use of colour, tactile materials and handmade embellishment, Burke is a Brisbane-based artist and designer whose practice spans wearable art, performance, installation and participatory craft. Her work transforms everyday and discarded materials into playful sculptural forms, drawing on childhood memories, kitsch aesthetics and a deep celebration of individuality.

With limited capacity across performances and workshops, early booking is recommended.

A selection of Burke’s handmade works will also be available to purchase at the Powerhouse Store, including craft books, zines, badges, washi tape and illustrated greeting cards.

BOOK YOUR SPOT

WORKSHOPS

A colorful charm necklace with trinkets including a lollipop, strawberry, ice cream cone, toothbrush, pink bunny, comb, and other cute decorations, displayed on a pink mannequin bust.

JUNK JEWELLING

22 AUG 2026

A colorful collage of papers featuring pink, plaid, and pastel patterns, neon highlights, and shiny decorations like sequins and stars, all layered closely together.

ZINE MAKING

17 OCT 2026

Colorful heart-shaped pins with playful designs and words like SILLY BILLY, BED TIME, HAPPY GIRL, and tricks are arranged on a pink gingham cloth surrounded by bright bead art.

ROSETTE & BADGE MAKING

12 DEC 2026

A hand holds colorful pixel bead keychains, including a pink heart, a strawberry, a flower, a smiling face charm, and a beaded string spelling SQUIZITO!, against a pink checkered background.

MELTY BEAD KEY CHAIN WORKSHOP

20 FEB 2027

PERFORMANCE

Two people wearing party hats and colorful costumes smile and laugh, surrounded by a large, vibrant arrangement of multicolored artificial flowers against a clear blue sky.

FLOWER. PUPPY. SHOW.

6 – 8 AUG 2026

A woman with long blonde hair and bangs, wearing a pink patterned outfit, sits in front of a colorful, abstract, hand-drawn background filled with vibrant swirls, lines, and shapes.

ABOUT RACHEL BURKE

Rachel Burke is a Brisbane-based multidisciplinary artist working across wearable art, craft-based installation, and performance. Her practice centres on sentiment, memory, and emotional storytelling through varied hand-made objects and often wearable artworks.

Drawing on a lifelong love of collecting, making, and transforming found materials, Rachel creates wearable works that blur the line between art, fashion, and craft. Her projects often explore nostalgia, loss, obsession, and memory, through the use of labour-intensive, often craft-based techniques.

Rachel’s work spans exhibitions, custom commissions, stage productions, publications, and workshops. She is known for her distinctive visual language and for championing slow, expressive making as a form of connection and storytelling.

Brisbane Powerhouse acknowledges the support of Cass and Ian George for making the Rachel Burke Artist Residency possible.