Raquel Sanchez

Artist statement

I was born in Paris, France, to an American painter mother and a Spanish-speaking father who was a nationally recognized poet. From my earliest years, art, literature, language, and cultural exchange were woven into my everyday life. Growing up between France, Morocco, Spain, Latin America, New York, and later Israel, I was immersed in a world where creativity transcended borders and where known and not yet known artists, writers, musicians, and thinkers were frequent guests in our home.

My childhood and education exposed me to an extraordinary range of cultures and artistic influences. Living in Ibiza during a period when the island attracted artists, writers, musicians, and filmmakers from around the world, I witnessed firsthand how creative communities could shape both personal identity and artistic vision. The many languages spoken around me—including English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and regional dialects taught me that expression takes many forms and that meaning can often exist beyond words.

When I returned to New York to complete my studies at Edward R. Murrow High School known then for a wide array of arts including the Performing Arts, I found myself among young artists who would later become influential cultural figures. During that time, I drew with and was close to Jean-Michel Basquiat and attended theater classes with Marisa Tomei. These experiences reinforced my belief that artistic expression is not simply a profession but a way of understanding and engaging with the world.

In New York, after high school, I worked for Andy Warhol's Interview Magazine while simultaneously gaining experience in fashion and worked in the gallery world. Being exposed to the creative energy of New York's art scene during this formative period broadened my understanding of contemporary art and the relationship between visual culture, poetry slams, and personal expression. This was an alive time that only spiced my years walking through le Lovre museum with my mother during my childhood.

Throughout my life, I have studied both the arts and the liberal arts . I have pursued creative work across multiple disciplines. I later founded and directed nonprofit programs for youth, integrating visual arts, poetry, sculpture, culinary arts, and creative exploration as pathways to becoming independent through expression and empowerment. These experiences deepened even more  so my understanding of art as a tool for developing perspectives not only for the self but for others and realizing that in my opinion, it is the strongest nonverbal language in existence.

Today I work primarily on paper and canvas, exploring themes of identity, memory, movement, resilience, and cultural dialogue. My work reflects a lifetime of adaptation between places, languages, and communities. I am interested in the layers that form human experience and, in the ways different perspectives can coexist within a single visual narrative.

A defining characteristic of my work is the use of reflective, iridescent, and metallic pigments. I paint exclusively in daylight because natural light is an active element in the visual process. As sunlight moves through a room, different layers of the work become visible, creating shifting visual experiences throughout the day. This interplay between light and surface has led some viewers to describe my work as kinetic, as the paintings seem to change in changing light and evolve despite remaining physically still.

For the past decade, I have continued to develop my artistic practice in Jerusalem, where I have worked closely with the team at Rosenbach Contemporary Gallery and have benefited from the guidance and encouragement of established artists and mentors as well as my curator. These relationships have supported my continued growth while allowing me to refine a visual language that is uniquely my own.

My work ultimately seeks to bridge cultures, experiences, and perspectives. Drawing upon a life lived across continents and creative disciplines, I create art that invites reflection through common ideas fused with the common ground of nature. The stories and names of my works invite curiosity, and dialogue. Through layers of line, texture, light, and symbolism, I explore the invisible connections that unite us despite our differences. The themes of my work reveal stories that emerge gradually, much like light itself moving across a surface.