Hello!

My name is Raquel Rabines and I am an artist and multimedia designer based in Boston, Massachusetts. Some things I love include sunlight, Korean BBQ, horror movies, fresh water creeks, wildlife, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, california burritos, and the beach. While I am originally from San Diego, in 2019 I left my hometown to study Studio Arts at the University of California Santa Cruz. Before I was an art student, my academic interests revolved heavily around psychology. Although I ultimately decided to pursue Fine Arts, my interest in psychology and social sciences has played a key role in my past and current art and design endeavors. 

I often find myself overwhelmed by the seemingly uncontrollable and unexplainable components of our world. I can’t help but feel small, existing in space with endless questions, countless theories, and very few answers. I ease this discomfort by observing, questioning, and exploring what it means to be human, and how we relate and respond to the natural and biological phenomenons of our world. Common themes I explore within my work include interconnection, time, observation of nature and natural processes, perception, and emotion. 

Additionally, my design aesthetic and illustration style has been influenced by my family and life growing up in Southern California. As the youngest daughter in a family of five, I was exposed to San Diego’s skate and surf culture at the hands of my older brothers at a young age. My illustration and design aesthetic often showcases my younger years reading thrasher magazines and surf publications. Similar to a good horror movie (one of the things I love) I was always drawn to the unsettled grittiness and grunge aesthetic of skate culture influenced by the punk rock scene of the 1970’s and the graffiti street art movement. Above all, my design methodology and creating process is the most important part of my identity as an artist and designer. I love to incorporate traditional art forms such as painting, printmaking, collage, book arts, and photography into my design compositions and graphic works. It is important to me that I work with physical materials, and create analog pieces that I am able to hold and interact with. I love collaborating with others, and am open to any collaboration inquiries!