Welcome to Barranquilla, a Colombian Caribbean city and land of inspiration of the artist Rafael Barón, also a scientist and anthropologist.
Barranquilla is a city with a deep colonial history, which is considered a land of no one, due to the attitude of all its inhabitants. Each one built their life with their own customs – which still continue to be imprinted in society. Barranquilla is an immigrant city with its joy and melancholy, but never with sadness. This story is counted by Rafael Baron in the personal language of his painting.
He shapes these multiple images taken from fashion magazines, internet or old encyclopedias. Every detail allows us to illustrate fantasy stories as a philosophy of seeing the world. Rafael places a Caribbean from after the “day after it was created” with European or African-style characters sitting in meeting places, between the present and the past. Far from pure technique, the painting of Rafael Barón focuses on beauty, offering the viewer a romantic and authentic experience through the pale and subtle colors.
The strength of Rafael’s work lies in his characters. When closing the eyes, the spectator can live the moments where the children (which are much used in his works) escape while playing music, recreating this idyllic, light and innocent moment of the good times. We fall in love with these women whose sensuality does not diminish their strength. The spectator attends a theater without time or space. They are light, fun stories where anything is possible. The paintings of Rafael Barón are like photographs in which the characters pause to dedicate some time to us because between past, present and future, do we really know where we are?
Partinership: The Nomad Creative Project
