Rowan Bathurst, originally from Baltimore, United States, is a painter who lives and works between Baltimore and São Paulo. Her practice centers on portrait painting — primarily of women — based on photographs she takes of close friends, as well as on the incorporation of landscapes and visual elements inspired by her experiences in the Brazilian countryside and by her travels across continents.
Beyond her most recent exhibition, Bathurst has been exploring the connection between contemporary women and prehistoric artifacts, especially Venus figures and ancient ceramic pieces. Inspired by these archaeological objects, by women’s history, and by humanity’s essential relationship with nature, her paintings radiate warmth, sisterhood, and a deep sense of ancestry. Her works invite a reimagining of the representation of the human figure in art—an approach that conveys confidence and serenity while embracing vulnerability. Nature and history are central to the human experience, and her work encourages reflection on the narratives we inherit and carry forward.
Bathurst holds a degree in Painting and Art History from the Maryland Institute College of Art (2018). Her work has been exhibited and collected in solo and group shows in the United States and internationally. In 2022, she was nominated as a participating artist for the Rema Hort Mann Foundation. In addition to her studio practice, she also works with public art and murals around the world, taking part in projects such as the Walls Off Washington Festival and the Brush Mural Fest. She is currently a resident artist in the Extreme Heat program at Johns Hopkins University, where she continues investigating the dialogue between art, history, nature, and shared human experience.
In 2025, Rowan participated in the 6th edition of the Vulica Brasil festival in Brasília, creating the mural “The Arrow of Time” at Galeria Nova Ouvidor (Beco do Rato) in Quadra 5 of the Setor Comercial Sul, portraying symbols of feminine beauty across time.
