Born in México City to architect parents, Rafael López grew up surrounded by art and the vibrant culture of an ancient city. His parents encouraged his innate curiosity and artistic explorations, and after graduation from high school he moved to California to attend Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
He has taken his early childhood experiences, and the dichos (folk proverbs or sayings) and myths he was exposed to as a child, and used them as the inspiration for his vibrant, emotion-laden illustrations for a variety of projects including children’s books, editorials, and a series of posters for the San Diego Blues Festival.
Many years ago I was fortunate to travel to México with Rafael to research and conduct interviews for an article on contemporary Mexican graphic design for Communication Arts magazine. We flew to México City and stayed with his Auntie Lucho, driving around the world’s most populous city in the car he drove while attending Art Center many years before. In addition to his drawing and painting skills, the man can navigate the most hellish traffic with a cool that brings to mind Steve McQueen in Bullet. Visiting the Frida Kahlo Museum in Coyoacán and the National Museum of Art gave me an inside glimpse into his artistic influences.
We also visited Oaxaca, explored Mayan ruins, and enjoyed tasting at a boutique tequileria, exploring the roots of the icons, palette and influences of modern México. Seeing a country I deeply love and have traveled widely, with a Mexican who seemed related to half the people I encountered, added immeasurably to the authenticity of my story, and it forged a deep friendship.
López ’s illustrations for Pat Mora’s Book Fiesta! garnered the 2010 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award given by the American Library Association to honor work that best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children's books. He considers it “the gift of a lifetime” and was especially proud that his mother Pillo flew from Mexico to Washington, DC for the award ceremony. His children's books have also won two Americas Awards and he received the 2012 Pura Belpré Honor for The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred, written by Samantha Vargas (featured here). His 2008 poster Voz Unida was selected by the Obama/Biden campaign as an official poster at Artists for Obama.
The 2011 stamps he created for the United States Postal Service celebrated Latin Music Legends Celia Cruz, Carlos Gardel, Carmen Miranda, Tito Puente, and Selena. His Merengue stamp was featured on the cover of the commemorative stamp yearbook in 2006 and at a special exhibition at the Smithsonian called Trendsetters. A 2007 stamp celebrated Mendez vs. Westminster, an important legal case in equality in education. López ’s international client list includes Amnesty International, Apple, Harper Collins, IBM, Intel, Los Angeles Times, the Grammy Awards, and the World Wildlife Fund. In 2009 he was invited to create three paintings for Oprah Winfrey's girls’ school in South Africa.
