Paco Raphael travels the world in search of inspiration for his vivid and arresting urban scenes. As well as photographing individual features that give a city its character such as examples of architecture, design and fashion, he is fascinated by the more wide-angle view. He spends weeks exploring the different materials that are used and manipulated, the contrasts between nature and the man-made environment, and the personality and culture of the streets.

Raphael was born in 1975 and was educated at The Hague University. Growing up in this vibrant Dutch city gave him a passion for graffiti, skateboarding and hip-hop and it was this that informed his early artistic leanings and still influences him today. Over the years however, his style has evolved into a distinctive fusion of old and new. Once he has created his foundation cityscape, he introduces elements of urban industrial life in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, and adds images of films, music, typography and architecture all assembled from pre-existing posters. By uniting past and present in this way he creates a timeless interpretation with a strong sense of place and a unique personality.

Biography and work by Paco Raphael