Raquel Garcia Martinez, was born and raised in the border city of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.  From a young age Raquel found great joy in art.  Primarily Influenced by a creative and resourceful mother, and a father who loved long family road trips throughout Mexico, Raquel was exposed to indigenous and regional art styles from all over the country.  The art of the States of Jalisco and Oaxaca are among the places that made the greatest impressions on her young mind.  The colorful pottery, paintings, and hand-crafted sculptures and figurines that can be found in and around the regions made her an instant admirer of Mexican folk art.

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 Raquel is a self-taught painter who enjoys portraying her culture through bright, folkloric decorative shadow boxes, also known as “Nichos”.  She has a special interest in utilizing recycled materials in their construction, as well as rescued or re-purposed furniture and other wooden items.  Raquel’s main medium is acrylic paint.  However, as an avid sketch artist, she regularly uses pencil and graphite as well.

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Raquel has lived in Seattle for the past 21 years, with her husband and four boys. She has worked at El Centro de la Raza for 13 years, serving and empowering the elderly in her community through social interaction, exercise and, of course, art.