INTERIOR DESIGN -- Rafael Delacruz’s psychedelic paintings of individuals situated in urban landscapes tap into the times’ increasingly rapid order with humor and nuance. The 30-year-old Brooklyn painter, who holds a bachelor’s degree in film theory from San Francisco State University, flexes his narrative-building muscles on canvas to chronicle everyday people’s interactions with urban architecture and objects — figures blend into street corners or objects become body parts.
“In Handle with Care” (2019), an otherwise naked man dons a wooden barrel in public; “I Love My Key in My Head + Heart” (2019) shows a surreal moment in which a key enters through a keyhole which substitutes for a man’s nose.
“Rafael manages to create deeply psychological portraits, brimming with magic,” said Bridget Finn, co-owner of Detroit-based Reyes | Finn. “The subjects of each work possess a superhuman quality within their modest settings, surrounded by psychedelic baguettes, adorned in large lapels and funky hats actively harnessing their own internal energy.”