An Intimate Interview with Rebecca Wallerstein for Artist.Vault Magazine!

I am thrilled to announce that you can now read my exclusive interview in the newly released Anniversary Issue of the indie-art magazine, Artist.Vault.

The wait is finally over, and this feature is a project I’ve been so eager to share. In this deep-dive conversation, I open up about my "Innerverse"—the psychological landscapes that drive my work—and the personal transformation from my 25-year design career into the multidisciplinary practice I lead today. We discuss the fusion of acrylics, ceramics, and metal, and how the philosophy of Wabi-Sabi allows me to create sanctuaries for introspection through my art. This interview is a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the "why" behind my textures and the healing power of imperfection.The Anniversary Issue is more than just a magazine; it’s a stunning collector’s item that captures the raw energy of the independent art scene. I am honored to be a featured voice in such a significant edition.

Click here to purchase your copy of the Anniversary Issue

And find the exclusive unabbreviated interview here on my website.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me—your support is what allows me to keep pushing the boundaries of what the mind and hand can create together.

My best,

RBW


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Between Chaos and Clarity: The Innerverse of REBECCA WALLERSTEIN

By: Artist.Vault Magazine

 

From Marin County just north of San Francisco, California - Rebecca Wallerstein creates work that bridges the external world and the inner landscape of the psyche. A multidisciplinary artist working across painting, ceramics, and photography, Wallerstein's practice is both deeply personal and intellectually layered, shaped by a lifetime immersed in art and a profound understanding of psychology. Her work moves fluidly between bold, graphic, street-inspired visuals and raw, textural abstraction each piece acting as a site of transformation, where emotion, memory, and meaning converge.

In this conversation with Artist.Vault Magazine, Wallerstein reflects on her artistic evolution, the influence of early mentorship, and the way her work explores the "innerverse" - those unseen spaces where healing, identity, and creative expression take form.

 

Artist.Vault: Can you tell us about your background and how you first became interested in art?

Rebecca Wallerstein: I can’t recall not being interested in art. I think because I was immersed in it so early on in my life. My great-aunt was an artist and she saw my innate talent as a very young child and took me under her wing. Every birthday or holiday she would gift me an art book from her collection: Miró, Kandinsky, Chagall, Degas…etc. I still have all of them. After she passed I received all of her artist tools. There is something about holding her old palette knives, with there handles worn smooth from the years of use - I feel she is still here guiding me.  

 

AV: Are you a self-taught artist, or did you attend art school? If you studied art formally, what was the most valuable lesson you learned there?

RW: I’m a blend of both. My foundation, as I said, started at home, training in watercolor under my artist great-aunt. From there, I pursued formal studies in Florence, Italy, immersing myself in classic and contemporary art and art history, followed by rigorous technical training in charcoal, figure drawing, and acrylics at the California College of the Arts. Most recently, I’ve been deepening my mastery of form through advanced ceramics and sculptural studies. I’m a full believer that there is always something to learn so I will most likely always pursue a continual growth in my education. 

The most valuable lesson I learned, however, came during a pivotal return to academia at Dominican University of California. While studying psychology, I experienced a 'soul’s transformation' that fundamentally changed my approach to the canvas. It taught me that art isn't just about technical precision—which I carried over from my 25-year career in graphic design—but about using the medium as a sacred site for psychological insight and healing. That bridge between technical discipline and deep, inner exploration is the heartbeat of my work today

 

AV: How would you describe your artistic style to someone experiencing your work for the first time?

RW: I would describe my work as a conversation between two distinct worlds: Urban Street Art and Textural Abstraction. My street-inspired style draws on 25 years of graphic design, using the bold, pop-culture energy of icons like Patrick Nagel and Lichtenstein to create a sharp, modern punch.

On the other hand, my textural work is much more raw and inward-looking. I build my canvases with multiple layers of acrylics, spray paint, and ink to process what I call the "psychic debris" of our lives. Because of my background in psychology, I see these pieces as a sacred site for the "innerverse"—those quiet, unfinished internal spaces where personal transformation happens. Whether I’m painting in this style or exploring the interplay between clay and metal, I’m always leaning into a Wabi-Sabi spirit, and finding beauty in the weathered and the imperfect. 

 

AV: How do you choose the subjects or themes for your artwork?

RW: My process for choosing themes usually falls into two categories: sudden sparks or slow evolutions.

Sometimes, a concept hits me with a raw, sharp flash of intuitive clarity—an out-of-the-blue 'compulsion to create' that floods my mind and demands to be made immediately. Other times, it’s a much quieter process of slow, deep pondering. In those cases, a piece or an entire series will gradually evolve over time, revealing its true meaning to me as I live with the idea and let it breathe. Whether it’s an instant flood of inspiration or a steady, slow build, the goal is always to follow that pull toward whatever feels most authentic.

 

AV: Can you describe your creative process when starting a new piece?

RW: My creative process is actually pretty simple: I create a mess on the canvas and then figure out how to resolve it.

Before I start, I’ll select a specific palette and gather all my supplies—whether that’s acrylics, ink and/or spray paint—but once I begin, it’s all about the chaos of the initial layers. For me, art is my favorite form of problem solving. I love the challenge of taking that uninhibited, 'messy' stream of consciousness and using my designer’s eye to find the order within it. It’s that journey of taking a conceptual/abstract idea and bringing it to a resolved, finished state that keeps me coming back to the studio.

 

AV: What role does color play in your work, and how do you select your palette?

RW: In my Urban Street style, I lean into high-contrast palettes that create an electric visual presence. Which is a direct nod to the bold energy and my history with graphic design.

For my Textural work, color is much more intuitive—it’s all about the feeling or atmosphere I’m chasing in the moment. For example, in my new series, ‘Cognitive Topographies’, I’ve been leaning heavily into umbers, rust tones, and ethereal lights. I am using those earthy shades because this series maps the 'neurological landscape' - it’s an exploration of the strata of our consciousness and inner world.

 

AV: You work across multiple mediums - what draws you to painting, ceramics, and photography?

RW: I originally got into photography to take refernce photos, but I quickly fell in love with the medium itself. My journey began in working with slide film and my old Nikon F3 before I transitioned to a DSLR thirteen years ago. While photography has taken a backseat lately to my work in painting and ceramics, it remains a vital part of my creativity. I am currently preparing to bring it back into an active practice.

To me, painting is water. It isn't just something I am drawn to; it is essential to my existence. There have been seasons where life pulled me away from the canvas, but the need to create always resurfaces. It wasn't until I committed to being a full-time artist that I realized painting is, at its core, a love letter to myself—a necessary act of self-reflection and expression.

I have always been wooed by ceramics, drawn to the primal grit of the "mud" and its deep connection to ancestral spirits. I began my formal study of clay more recently, partly to break the isolation of my home studio and find a creative community. It proved to be one of the best decisions for my soul and my career. This new path was recently affirmed when I received an "Honorable Mention" for a ceramic and metal sculpture from the legendary John Toki. To receive such a "nod" from a world-renowned artist is a powerful validation of my evolving journey.

 

AV: How do you decide which medium is best for a particular concept?

RW: I don’t approach my work by deciding which medium best fits a particular concept; instead, I ask how I can express a specific inquiry through the material currently in front of me. There is an immense amount of crossover in my practice, where a piece is often a continuation of the same internal inquiry or abstract concept, just expressed through a different lens or material. Because I work with such complex psychological inquiries, I view the canvas and clay as avenues to explore these ideas and as a vital source of healing for myself and those around me.

 

AV: Do you find that working in multiple mediums strengthens your creativity?

RW: Absolutely. One, it allows me to draw inspiration from so many unexpected and nontypical places. And, two, it prevents burn-out because there is always a creative outlet when one form of art starts to feel stagnant or too frustrating. I find that they feed each other and in return, they feed me.

 

AV: How do you balance the business side of art with the creative side?

RW:I work pretty much every day with my art in one way or another—a little bit of everything, every day. I know it’s rare for an artist to possess both business savvy and creative drive, but I’ve always been both highly analytical and artistic. I love the sciences and math just as much as the arts, and because I was never forced to prioritize one over the other as a child, they were able to develop together.

Because this passion is so all-encompassing, the real challenge for me isn't the work itself, but knowing when to delegate. I’ve learned that when my plate gets too full, the most important balance lies in protecting my own rest and peace. Managing a career driven by such deep intensity requires a constant, conscious effort to step back and recharge. 

 

AV: Music, podcasts, or silence in the studio?

RW: Music always! I have so many random playlist. Some have 25-30 songs or more and others are just 4 songs on a loop. 

 

AV: What has been the most rewarding part of your journey as an artist so far?

RW:The most rewarding part has truly been the people I’ve met along the way. While the act of creating is often solitary, the art itself acts as a bridge to some of the most profound human connections I’ve ever experienced.

 

AV: If your art could communicate one message to the world, what would it be? 

RW: If my work could communicate just one thing, it would be this: Your suffering is not a dead end, but the very soil required for your transformation.

I’ve spent my life navigating the "spaces in between"—the invisible membranes where our external reality meets the deep, often chaotic landscape of the soul. Through my own journey, I’ve learned that our most difficult experiences are often the catalysts for our truest evolution.