Rafael Morales
a colonial-era tenement in Havana, Cuba
Rafael grew up in the vibrant, yet decaying streets of Old Havana. Widowed young, he drifted into routine, first with the bottle and later with sobriety, which he cherishes deeply as marked by thin, deliberate pencil strokes on his wall. His quiet nights as a security guard are punctuated by graffiti of odors — whispering the city's nightly life stories through scent.
About
Obsession
Cataloging the shifting aromas of his surroundings
Voice
The air's slow, deliberate exhale
Artistic Medium
Infusions dyed on cloth treated with boiled plantain peels
Technique
Submerging pieces repeatedly into scented baths
Influences
The nocturnal cityscape of Havana, hardened sobriety, the colonial-era architecture's weathered facades
Materials
Discarded fabrics from his building, plantain peels, strong Cuban coffee, seawater
Scale
Small enough to fit under a creaking ceiling fan
Selected 1 time · Last: August 31, 2026
Commissioned Works
"Whispers in the Code"
August 31, 2026 · anxious
"Unraveling Storms of Tech"
August 31, 2026 · anxious