Originally from Brazil, Reifus now lives and works in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Reifus’ characteristically sleek designs, often a grayscale graphic with a pop of red color, reflect his personality: “urban, imperfect, and with a lot of thoughts.”

Reifus, or Raphael Ferraz, enjoys exploring his city and simply walking “without any responsibility”; he gets some of his best insights and ideas for art when he least expects it.

He finds that sitting and drawing is the best way to “empty my mind” of the “faces and stories” he encountered throughout the day and serves as the beginning of his creative process. He admits that “any story can trigger something new” for him and he discovers ideas for his art everywhere.

model wearing shirt with skull with flames

Reifus’ eclectic tastes in art range from street art and tattoo art, to classical painting. He is particularly interested in the Spanish street artist, Aryz, the Russian tattoo artist, Vitaly Morozov, and the American graffiti artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat. However, he is also inspired by art from more traditional mediums like the French Romantic painter, Eugène Delacroix, the Spanish illustrator, Paula Bonet, as well as, the famous Spanish painter and sculptor, Picasso.

Reifus’ message to the Design By Humans’ community is a simple, yet powerful one: “an artist never gives up.” He heeds his own advice and has never stopped working towards his goal of making art “something for me.”