RAFAEL FIRST PICKED UP A CAMERA WHILE STUDYING ARCHITECTURE AND QUICKLY DISCOVERED A LIFE-LONG PASSION BEHIND THE LENS. AFTER GRADUATING, HE HONED HIS CRAFT ASSISTING RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHERS SUCH AS BOB WOLFENSON, OLAF BLECKER, AND FERNANDO MILANI IN SÃO PAULO, NEW YORK, AND BERLIN.
SINCE THEN, HE HAS BUILT AN AWARD-WINNING CAREER, WORKING BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS AND ON ASSIGNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD. RAFAEL HAS COLLABORATED WITH LEADING AGENCIES INCLUDING ALMAP BBDO, AFRICA, DM9 DDB, TBWA, NEOGAMA BBH, AND DPZ; CREATED CAMPAIGNS FOR MAJOR BRANDS SUCH AS VOLKSWAGEN, PEDIGREE, PLAYSTATION, WHISKAS, WHIRLPOOL, RENAULT, AND C&A; AND CONTRIBUTED TO INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS INCLUDING THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, DER SPIEGEL, DIE ZEIT, CASA VOGUE, ELLE, MONOCLE AND WIRED.
HIS WORK HAS EARNED CANNES LIONS, THE ICELANDIC ADVERTISING AWARD LÚÐURINN, AND THE GRAND PRIX AT PRÊMIO ABRIL DE PUBLICIDADE—BRAZIL’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS ADVERTISING AWARD. HE HAS ALSO BEEN FEATURED IN LÜRZER’S ARCHIVE’S 200 BEST AD PHOTOGRAPHERS WORLDWIDE, AND EXHIBITED AT THE REYKJAVÍK ARTS FESTIVAL, THE KOREA ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION FESTIVAL, AND THE FLORENCE BIENNALE.