Rachel Azzinaro is a graphic designer and artist currently living in Richmond, Virginia. She has a deep and multifaceted love for printmaking, history, science fiction, letterpress printing, ancient art, poster design, and theory. Her art practice combines a fascination in humanity’s natural and speculative impact on the world and on history.
She graduated summa cum laude, with a BFA in Graphic Design and Art History minor from Virginia Commonwealth University. The highlight of her undergraduate career was receiving the Dean’s International Research Grant to conduct art historical research in Yucatan, Mexico. There, Rachel studied the immersive art and architecture of the ancient Maya, and its inextricable link to their spiritual beliefs while traveling to Mayan ruins, cenotes, and caves.
While having spent much of her career in digital graphic design and art education, branding, and freelance, Rachel has spent a large amount of her free time with letterpress printing, bookbinding, and etching. Rachel started the small business Three to the Em Prints as a way to house her products and projects under one name, and now sells her prints and designs online and in various storefronts in Richmond. She has worked as a studio art teacher at a Reggio Emilia inspired school and most recently as a graphic designer and marketing coordinator for the Jewish Community Center of Richmond, Virginia. She is now an Artist-in-Residence at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.
Her personal practice encompasses her deep and multifaceted passion for traditional folk art, history, permaculture, native plants, ancient art, language, and biomimicry. Rachel combines these subjects with her love of printmaking and graphic design, and has recently been exploring fiber mediums with storied histories such as quilting and basket weaving.
During quarantine, Rachel spent her time doing puzzles, doing yoga, hiking, playing Sims, reading, spending hours on Pinterest, and updating her portfolio website.