Raphael Perez was born and was raised in Jerusalem and currently resides and works in Tel-Aviv.

He graduated the ‘Jerusalem School of Visual Arts’ where he began to work with acrylics, oil, and drawings.

Perez’s drawings depict intimate relationships between two people, whether they be men and women, two women or two men. Through his expressive art he tackles the concepts of relationships and sentiments between two people.

Each painting contrasts between light and shade, with the colour red running as a central theme. Perez sets out to symbolize masculinity, passion and dominance in his work.

The selection below deals with the life of gay couple in intimate situations ranging from the bedroom, bathroom and even the toilet! Other art pieces within this series contain more political and assertive themes such as a gay version of the ‘Garden of Eden’, gay parades and gay couples raising a baby.

Perez plays with gender in his work to test the boundaries between eroticism and art, while remaining within the boundaries of everyday life. The most striking thing about Perez’s work is his uses of colour, and he claims that his “naïve” style comes from his time working with children.

Gay Paintings showcases galleries of Perez’s work. Each gallery deals with a specific theme and includes information on his collections and ideas. You even can play around with the ‘Gay Poll’ on the site and have paintings selected for you depending on your taste in colour and personality.

Here is a selection of Raphael Perez’s work. Click on the images to see the full canvas.