Raelis Vasquez was born in The Dominican Republic and moved to New Jersey with his family in 2002. His family worked tirelessly in order to move into a large house in a better neighborhood.  Vasquez talks about his father working hard to support his fmaily and that he instilled that same work ethic into Vasquez as well. Vasquez spends most of his time diligently working on this paintings and drawings in his home studio.

Vasquez’s paintings are large-scale images that capture the historical and political narratives of his subjects while highlighhting their emotional and personal narratives as well.  The work ranges from traditional portraiture to contemporary genre scenes that represent people of color with multiple identities such as black, immigrant, mulatto, Afro-Latinx, and Latinx, all pressing against traditional concepts of what it means to be American.

Throughout his childhood, Vasquez was confronted with inaccurate and stereotypical representations of his Afro-Latino heritage. By using the Western style of painting as a means of protest, he depicts the narrative of people of color, unveiling historical silences of family, societal life and the traumatic and disruptive experience of immigration. Vasquez's goal is to accurately represent the histories of the Dominican Republic while combating the stereotypes thrusted upon him. His narratives present the psychological states of the figures in his works while allowing the viewer a chance to see their daily lives. 

Armed with a passionate work ethic inherited from his father, Raelis Vasquez can almost always be found in his home studio working away on his newest paintings. Often he is intimately seated while painting, a reference photo nearby or on a computer screen.