Please join the Seabrook Island Artist Guild for a reception
to meet Jose and view his work.
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
4:30-6:00 pm
The Lake House Art Wall Hallway
Of Catalan and Cuban ancestry, Jose Rafols lived and studied in Barcelona, Spain through the 1960s. In this “modernista” (Art Nouveau) city, he immersed himself in what would become his life-long love affair with the visual arts by visiting art museums and salons exhibiting the work of local and international painters. At that time, Barcelona’s prominence in the nascent Bauhaus, Nouveau, and Surrealist movements provided him with much inspiration.
Rafols emigrated to the United States and obtained a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Kansas. Upon completion of his degree, he began a 48-year career in neurotrauma and stroke research. He also taught neuroscience to medical students at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. At Wayne, Rafols held the position of professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology until his retirement in 2016.
During his long scientific career, Rafols published numerous line drawings of brain cells using integrated microscopic, camera lucida, and computerized techniques. However, only a few years before retirement, he began to understand the complexities of color, values, and light intensity needed in depicting perspective and therefore, successful painting.
This process was largely facilitated through his participation in workshops, demonstrations, and critiques in artist guilds. His preferred mediums are oils and acrylics, and the subject matter for his painting is eclectic, ranging from low country and mountain landscapes, local flora and fauna, to an occasional portrait done mostly in naturalist/impressionistic styles.
Please join the Seabrook Island Artist Guild for an Artist of the Month reception to meet Jose and view his unique artwork on Tuesday, February 4 from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm at The Lake House in the Art Wall hallway.
-Submitted by Seabrook Island Artist Guild
(Image credit: Jose Rafols)