Barbara Rachko

In her work, Barbara Rachko uniquely uses Mexican and Guatemalan folk art—masks, carved wooden animals, papier mâché figures, and toys as surrogates for human beings acting in highly-charged narratives. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.A. in psychology. After college, she earned a commercial pilot's license and Boeing 727 flight engineer's certificate, then spent seven years on active duty as a Naval officer. In 1986 while working at the Pentagon, she began to study figure drawing and medical anatomy, and began many long years of developing her craft. Barbara subsequently resigned from active duty (but remained in the Navy Reserve and retired as a Commander) to devote herself to making art. On 9/11 Barbara’s life was changed forever when her husband, Dr. Bryan C. Jack, was killed on the plane that hit the Pentagon. Dividing her time between residences in New York and Alexandria, Virginia,Barbara enjoys a busy career as a professional artist. She is represented by six galleries throughout the United States, exhibits nationally and internationally, and continues to win accolades, including a 2008-2009 Joyce Dukta Arts Foundation award.


The Magical Other
soft pastel on sand paper
Image: 47" x 38". Framed: 60" x 50"


Scene Fifteen: Living Room
soft pastel on sand paper
Image: 26" x 20". Framed: 35" x 28.5"


He Didn't Take Seriously the Threat From Below
soft pastel on sand paper
Image: 58" x 38". Framed: 70" x 50"