Nicholson grew up in Cumbria and Scotland, later moving to the South East of England. After studying literature to post-graduate level, she studied sculpture and specialised in metal fabrication.

She has exhibited in galleries, business centres, art shops and private shows across the UK. In 2022, she received an Arts Council DYCP award for research and development. Sculpture commissions have come from churches, schools and art centres, and from several private collectors in the UK.

Rachael Nicholson (MA Goldsmiths) creates sculptural artworks which convey dynamic energy, with rigid forms dissembling into more fluid arrangements, colours breaking lines and crossing boundaries. Her process-based approach prioritises integrity to materials and place. Working principally in steel and iron, Nicholson is drawn to time-worn materials salvaged from farmland, shorelines and scrap yards.

‘It intrigues me when a found object expresses its own unique history: a cluster of bleached pink fishing line, a dented fence grid or a rusted Victorian crib.’

Her usage of recycled materials highlights issues surrounding environmental degradation and consumer waste.