Rafaela Costa is a self-taught artist originally from Florianópolis, a small island in southern Brazil where nature, cultural traditions, and community are deeply intertwined. At 17, she left Brazil on her own and has since lived across multiple countries over the past two decades—an experience that continues to shape both her life and artistic practice. Themes of belonging, migration, transformation, and identity frequently emerge as spaces for reflection and introspection in her work.

She holds a BA in Psychology and speaks Portuguese, Spanish, Hebrew, and English. Her background in psychology forms the underlying framework of her practice, informing an interest in human perception, emotional memory, behavior, and the unseen layers that connect us. These influences often surface through explorations of resilience, identity, and emotional experience.

In 2023, a life-altering experience—spending a month in the ICU while 11 weeks pregnant—profoundly shifted her relationship with time, presence, and creative urgency. Although art has always been an important part of her life, this moment marked a decisive commitment to her practice as a professional artist, embracing creativity as a way of honoring life and pursuing her own unique path.

Her work explores impermanence, resilience, and the quiet power of lived experience, drawing from both personal history and collective memory.