Rachael Grew

Rachael Grew is a Senior Lecturer in Art History and Visual Culture at Loughborough University, serving as UG Programme Lead for Liberal Arts. She holds a PhD from the University of Glasgow (2010) and completed a postgraduate certificate in academic teaching practice in 2017, earning Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. Her research focuses on gender, bodies, and identities in visual culture, particularly exploring hybridity and monstrous imagery across art, costume, and film from the mid-19th century to the present.

Rachael’s work emphasizes Surrealism, with a specialized focus on artist Leonor Fini. She is an editorial board member of the International Journal of Surrealism and has published extensively on Fini’s contributions to art and design. Her research often intersects with themes of alchemical symbolism, gender fluidity, and material culture.

Before joining Loughborough in 2016, she held teaching positions at Plymouth University, The Glasgow School of Art, and the University of Glasgow. Her teaching prioritizes visual culture’s role in understanding socio-cultural dynamics, with a particular fascination for figures that challenge conventional boundaries of gender, organic matter, and artistic expression.

Her academic awards include the Higher Education Academy Fellowship. Though no grants are explicitly listed, her editorial work and extensive publications reflect significant scholarly engagement. She advises students on topics related to visual culture and surrealism but no specific student names are provided. Office hours are held weekly in E.1.06B during term time without prior appointment.