raphaella | “raph” | RAPH DRAWS

prounouns: she/they

RAPH DRAWS is a self-taught, queer, haitian-american digital illustrator and muralist. source created them with a dash of glitter, salt, jiwof (“cloves” in creole), sky miles, joy, sassy twitter fingers, disco fever, and a heaping amount of passionate, creative-cosmic energy. they identify as a "creative midwife" — they bring their digital pieces to the physical using prototyping tools, such as laser and vinyl cutter machine.

they describe her style as “cultural-psychedelic” — where culture meets the surrealism of her inner and outer expression of the world. drawing knowledge from their haitian-catholic background, their art celebrates the human consciousness shift that is currently happening in the world today. in a time where the pandemic revealed faults in the system, the art they create draws from cultural, spiritual, & mystical references while using exuberant color palettes to create timeless visual stories.

the goal of our pieces is to liberate the collective black experience & honor oneness — a dream we collectively aspire towards yet are distracted by the polarities of human life.

they are currently based in vermont. keep up with them on instagram & tiktok.

Awards & Recognitions

  • Fall Term: October — December 2021

  • 2nd annual juneteenth festival mural | may — june 2022 | commissioned by burlington city arts in collaboration with racial, equity, inclusion, and belonging committee

  • 1-year artist-in-residency program | october 2022 — september 2023

  • recipient of burlington city arts elevation grant | december 2022

PRESS

Generator VT. “Black Freedom, Black Madonna, & the Black Child of Hope.” Generator Makerspace, 16 Aug. 2022.

Polston, Pamela. On a Burlington Mural, a Black Madonna Conveys Liberation and Love , Aug. 2022.

“Juneteenth Brought a New Mural to the Fletcher Free Library.” Facebook, Fletcher Free Library , 22 June 2022.

Murphy, Rory. “On a Mural in Burlington, a Black Madonna Conveys Liberation and Love.” NJ News Update, 3 Aug. 2022

Hyde, Marlon. “Vermont Edition: What to See This Winter at Local Museums, from Rare Keith Harings to New Artists.” Vermont Edition, Vermont Public Radio, 18 Jan. 2023.

Fisher, April, director. Raphaella Brice: The Artist behind the Fletcher Free Library Black Madonna Mural, Burlington Free Press, 3 Apr. 2023.

Fisher, April. “Raphaella Brice: The Artist behind the Fletcher Free Library Mural on Her Rise to Success.” Burlington Free Press, 14 Apr. 2023.

Fisher, April. “Waterbury’s Zenbarn Farms Supports Racial Equity in the Cannabis Industry Through Fund.” Burlington Free Press, Burlington Free Press, 18 Apr. 2023.

Costello, Damian. “The Black Madonna makes her mark in the least religious state in the US” National Catholic Reporter, 21 Oct. 2023.

Costello, Damian. “Mary and the Art of Mothering.” VT Catholic, pp. 20–21, Dec. 2023.

Costello, Damian. “Mary and the Art of Mothering.” Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vermont Catholic , 18 Jan. 2024.