Rafael Motta reflects on emotions and intuitions in his first exhibition in New York
The contemporary artist grapples with balancing feeling and thinking in his works
If there is one name we should keep an eye on, it’s multi-platform artist Rafael Motta—a major contemporary artistic revelation. The Minas Gerais native discovered his calling for the arts when he customized his first pair of sneakers for a classmate—the piece attracted so much attention that some friends started placing orders. That’s when the artist created a profile called Personalized Shoes, where he began creating customizations at events and for friends.
Soon Rafael began making interventions on bags and other leather pieces, and as his work gained exposure, he was invited to do an activation at Saks Fifth Avenue in Miami—his first live artistic intervention outside Brazil. After Saks, Rafael also worked with Brazil Fashion From in Miami, Coterie in New York, and in Brazil for brands such as Bulgari, Azimut, Schutz, Arezzo, among others.
The milestone of his collaborations came with the launch of the Pure Heart collab, which transferred the main elements of his artistic narrative into fashion through embroideries made by artisans from Minas Gerais on leather corsets for the label of Patrícia Motta, his mother. After the success of the collab, Rafael decided to launch his own genderless clothing brand called No Name, known for designs in natural fabrics such as linen.
Exploring his artistic expression more and more, he began creating paintings on canvas and plaster sculptures. And this Friday (04), Rafael Motta opens his first exhibition in the Hamptons in New York, an artistic hot spot that has already inspired renowned names such as Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning.
The exhibition “e·qui·lib·ri·um: The Exhibition that Transcends the Balance between Feeling and Thinking!” deals with themes such as the importance of balancing feeling and thinking in everyday life, emphasizing the need to root our essence and values to achieve solid personal growth without neglecting our values and essence.
Rafael Motta continues to enchant the world with his versatile and meaningful art. His creative journey shows that art can be a powerful tool to express our essence, convey powerful messages, and inspire reflections on life and the balance between feeling and thinking.
