Rafael Calvo Torrico

The late eighties, can be considered a turning point in my life in which a process that was developing for many years crystallized. After many years of expressing my thoughts and emotions through writing, it no longer sufficed. From that moment on, instead of devoting the exploration of the images in my mind in written word, I dedicated myself entirely to the visual arts. My work has been influenced by my previous work in Peru, working with marginalized urban communities in creating new opportunities both culturally (theater work and murals) and socio-economically.

These experiences underlie my initial thematic choices but have not disappeared in their entirety; you can see them back in the expressions in the bodies and faces of the people I paint. My early years living in the Netherlands, these experiences took on new forms in working with marginal groups like homeless youth, using circus and creative mediums as forms of expression. Presently, the driving force behind my work, is a journey of experimentation to encounter a balance in the silence. At the same time, I have been developing in solitude my technique and use of color which has manifested in my own recognizable style.