Robert Raphael’s porcelain objects draw on the complex history of decorative art, while making reference to strength, delicacy, sexuality and gender. His thickly glazed surfaces contribute to the making process through warping, cracking, and other chemical changes that occur during the firing process. Neoclassicism has been the primary inspiration of his sculptures, in addition to the modernist aesthetics of Weiner Werkstatte and the desire to conflate the roles of ornament and structure.
Robert earned a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and a MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. He has most recently lived and worked in Brooklyn, New York. His work has been exhibited at venues such as Honey Ramka, NY; Norte Maar, NY; Bronx Museum of the Arts, NY; LMAK Gallery, NY; and Jonathan Hopson in Houston, TX. He has participated in numerous residency programs, including Zentrum Für Keramik, Berlin; The Shigaraki Ceramic Sculpture Park, Japan; Illinois State University Visiting Artist Program, IL; and Civitella Ranieri in Umbertide, Italy. To learn more about his work, visit https://robraphael.com.
