Jessica Raschke is a holistic counsellor and psychotherapist, writer and artist. All of her work is guided by soul-informed and existential explorations into what makes for a meaningful existence, hence her specialisation in death, dying, bereavement, grief and loss.
For the past eight years, and since training with the Natural Death Care Centre and Preparing the Way, Jessica has worked as a funeral celebrant, death literacy advocate, and facilitated a range of ‘Death Cafes’ and ‘Mortality and Mystery’ gatherings across New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Jessica has a PhD in Culture and Communication (RMIT University), following the completion of a Bachelor of Arts (Cultural Studies and History, University of Melbourne, Dean’s List), and training in Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University. Most recently, she completed her training in Holistic Counselling and Psychotherapy with the Metavision Institute.
Jessica’s most recent installation, GRAVES, was featured at Articulate Project Space in 2024. She’s also exhibited Liminal Leaves at Retford Park in 2022, as part of the Artists of the Round Yard’s x-pollination exhibition. In 2020, she focused on vinyl text-based installations at Mental (Scruples and Humanity Always) and The CORRIDOR Project (Scruples).
Other works have included participatory text-based installations that provided audiences with meaningful opportunities for personal reflection. Leaving Love (2018-2019) was part of The Art of Giving at Retford Park in Bowral, Sculptures for Clyde (2019), and Sculptures at Killalea (2019). Wisdom Weaving was featured at the Hillview Sculpture Biennial and Sculptures at Killalea in 2018.
Over the years, she has also installed Soul Secrets, as part of Micro Galleries in Nowra (2015), Ten Thousand Paces in Bowral (2016), and Hapenny Lane in Katoomba (2017), and the Before I Die wall in Mittagong, Bowral, and Moss Vale (2016), with artists Monica Donoso and Martin Bretherick.
Other installations have been exhibited at VAC in Bendigo (Mystified – projected poetry), Kings ARI (Suicide Silence – projected monologue), 69 Smith Street Gallery (Shallow Impulse – vinyl text), and fauxPho (What We’re Going Through – lightboxes).
In 2019, Jessica and Martin created a new Before I Die wall as part of ‘From the Brink: A Fringe Festival About Ageing Dying and Grieving’ at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre. She also collaborated with US artist Mim Golub on The Better Future Mail Project as part of the Micro Galleries International Artists Collective.
Jessica’s most recent poetry collection, Lightning Shades (2021) is available through Ginninderra Press.
You can learn more about her here and get in touch with her here.