He began his career as a New York-based photographer, and soon became highly sought-after by high-end brands and glossy publications. Raphael's high-profile work includes shooting for magazines including Vogue, Marie Claire, Vanity Fair and Sports Illustrated, and for brands including Ralph Lauren and Victoria's Secret. His imagery for many of these campaigns has become synonymous with these companies - if you picture one of these brands, it's more than likely that you're picturing one of Raphael's images. Raphael has worked internationally with major names, including celebrity portraiture of Benicio del Toro, Matt Damon and Susan Sarandon.

He moved into the world of fine art when he and his family moved to rural Connecticut, Raphael was inspired to create his Gaia collection, which takes its title from the Greek goddess of nature. This breathtaking selection of hand-embellished limited edition and original works layers natural elements such as flowers and leaves with classical imagery and portraiture.

"Working on Gaia felt like going through my old diaries," explains Raphael. "All of these particular images hold great meaning and memory for me." The first instalment of his Grass Roots series saw him travel back through 25 years of memories from his travels in Africa, and the love he has for the continent shone through in the results. Mazzucco was inspired to create the series during lockdown, when he had the opportunity to revisit his archive of incredible photography taken on assignments around the world, plus his personal diaries.

A second instalment of Grass Roots in 2023 took its inspiration from Raphael's travels in Kenya and up the Amazon in Brazil. Raphael's photography is where it all begins, and he totally immerses himself in the part of the world he's visiting, and the people who live there, which hugely influences his work. 'The trip to Brazil lasted 27 days, travelling on a boat going down to the Rio Negro,' remembers Raphael. 'Shooting is always very unpredictable, and you need to allow yourself a lot of time to get what you need'.

Raphael took a small team on this trip to Brazil, enabling him to immerse himself in the atmosphere and create artworks that are immersive, authentic, organic, and raw. 'When I shot in the Amazon, I took my son, the model, and an assistant, and that was it. I think it's always important to have an assistant from the area who really knows it well. You also have to work with models who are resilient and can adapt to whatever happens on a shoot.'

The experiences Raphael has on his intense trips naturally make their way into his art, and he is already starting with new ideas whilst on his travels. 'When I am on these types of immersive trips, I bring a small printer and print the 5" x 7" photos which later I put into the resin of the original pieces,' he explains. Raphael layers these photographs with journal entries from his trips and his trademark paint effects. 'I love the work after the photograph, telling a story through layers, rather than just the simple photograph.'