Rafael Gutierrez

About the Artist

Rafael Gutierrez was born in 1957 in Arizona. He is second to the youngest of ten children. The Gutierrez family were migrant farm workers, who followed the summer crops in the Salinas/Hollister/Gilroy areas of California, as well as the winter crops in the Phoenix metro areas. He is a fist generation Hispanic American, who resides in Surprise, Arizona. The family's home base was in Guadalupe, Arizona, a community whose population mostly consisted of Yaqui and Mexican American people. Gutierrez was raised in Guadalupe, and at a young age he immersed himself in the community culture and traditions that included artists and artisans of various disciplines. This was more of an escape from the crowded tiny two-bedroom home shared by two parents and nine siblings.

Rafael is a graduate of Arizona State University and has an Associate Arts degree from South Mountain Community College. He has worked on large scale mural projects, both alone and as collaborative artistic endeavors with other artists. He has had exhibits in art galleries and many group shows throughout the State of Arizona, as well as shows in galleries across the Southwest. Gutierrez is an accomplished artist with years of creative experience. He has received numerous awards and honors.

Gutierrez had an unexpected and debilitating medical setback resulting in several long term confinement episodes at various Valley hospitals. As a result, Gutierrez was wheelchair-bound for many years. The rehabilitation process was lengthy and painful. After a twenty-year plus fluctuation between hospital stays and recovery periods, he finds himself in remission and walking again. This period has helped him create what he feels is some of his best work and has provided a new perspective on life and art. Gutierrez had to make adjustments and develop new approaches to his creative endeavors. Today, he is primarily working on 2-D art on paper and canvas with varying mediums to include pastel, acrylic paint, water color, pen and ink.

Gutierrez embraces his Hispanic American heritage, his communities’ cross-cultural influences, as well as his physical limitations. Gutierrez’s many challenging life experiences have influenced and contributed to his present-day artistic expressions.