Alumni Gallery: Rachel Sherman '99

On view in the Alumni Gallery November 22 through January 17, 2026.

Join us for the opening reception celebrating Repetition Compulsion, an exhibition of work by Rachel Sherman ‘99 in Moore's Alumni Gallery on Saturday, November 22 from 5 - 7 pm. The evening will also feature live Brazilian music by Fernanda Bravo, an internationally respected vocalist from Rio de Janeiro whose sound blends samba, bossa nova and jazz; Fernanda da Silveira, a cavaquinho player and educator known for her work leading choro and samba projects across New York and New Jersey; and Fabio Oliveira, a percussionist and conductor from Brasília whose performances bridge Brazilian traditions, jazz and classical music.

In Repetition Compulsion, Sherman presents both garments and circular canvases that showcase her range of surface manipulation techniques. The title references a psychological phenomenon in which an individual unconsciously repeats past experiences in an attempt to gain mastery over them. For Sherman, however, repetition is an act of pleasure and exploration. Each stitch becomes a meditation, each pattern a celebration of the tactile beauty of fabric in all its forms.

Once described as “cyber meets bohemian,” Rachel Sherman '99's work embodies a fusion of vibrant energy and craft tradition. Her label, Malagueta—named for a Brazilian pepper—bridges traditional craft and experimental technique, drawing from a lifelong fascination with global folk textiles and a connection to her Brazilian heritage through her mother. Working with a sewing machine since the age of thirteen but never formally trained, she learned by breaking the rules—and sometimes nearly breaking the machine—in pursuit of new forms of expression.

Sherman’s lively interpretations of color, pattern, texture and shape pay homage to nature, world cultures and the female body. Her vibrant, modern and easy-to-wear garments first appeared in independent boutiques in Seattle, later finding homes in Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tucson, Miami, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston—where “funky and feminine” resonated with a diverse clientele.