Rafael Assef

Rafael Assef da Silva, born in São Paulo in 1970, is a renowned photographer who began his career in photography in 1990. He graduated in fine arts from Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (FAAP) in 1997. Between 1992 and 1997, he attended various courses and workshops in photography and drawing with influential artists and photographers such as Eduardo Castanho, Eduardo Brandão, Marcos Ribeiro, Carlito Contini, and Roberta Fortunato.

In 1994, he was awarded the 1st Photography Stimulus Prize by the São Paulo State Department of Culture. His first solo exhibition, titled "Sem Nome..." ("Untitled..."), was held at the Centro Cultural Solar do Barão in Curitiba in 2001.

Rafael gained prominence in the fashion scene in 2005 when he participated in the group exhibition "Viés," organized by Galeria Vermelho, where he presented the work "Look 2." In this project, he photographed himself shirtless with his chest hair shaved into the shape of a tank top, which drew attention in the artistic and fashion communities. That same year, he collaborated with designer Alexandre Herchcovitch at SP Fashion Week and produced the cover for Moda magazine, issue #3.

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