"I believe that the face contains an essential beauty and poverty. Being the most exposed part of our body, everything we live, our identity, our fears, our joys, all of it goes through and is expressed through our face. It is a gateway to who we are, to that sacred space of our personal intimacy. The face exposes us, whether we like it or not. We may want to mask our vulnerability but facing ourselves there are no secrets. This is why the fascinating experience of contemplating another’s face can be so profound and revealing both for yourself and for the other. What happens between the “me” and the “you” is what I try to express in each work. It’s not just a face, it’s an experience, a feeling, a mystery."

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With a background in amateur theater, singing and song writing, Rafael finally found in oilpastel drawing a way to express his microcosmos, mainly focused on people, faces and what they manifest.

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As an emerging Brazilian artist born in the state of Minas Gerais, Rafael is currently living in Londrina, Paraná. Rafael is also a deacon of the Catholic Church, with a degree in theology from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and pursuing a graduate degree in art studies, with a mention in painting, at the same institution.