Graduated from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Raoul Deleo began his career as a freelance illustrator in 1993. Besides illustrating he also worked as a graphic designer, animator and art director. In recent years he works as a fine artist and increasingly creates and exhibits artworks evolved from self initiated projects.

His free work is figurative and is particularly inspired by nature and the idea that ‘ultimately nothing can provide security in life.’ ‘Not an alarming feeling, but rather a comforting one.’ ‘Nature is’ in this sense considered to be ‘an uncontrollable persistent harmonizing force that will automatically have it’s way, whether we interfere or not.’

Deleo gained fame after winning the Annual Illustration Award of the NIC (the Dutch Association of Illustrators) in 1995. From that moment on his work has been awarded several times by a.o. the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts (AFK), the Association of Dutch Designers (BNO), the Dutch Design Awards and the Dutch art directors Club (ADCN). He won two Dutch Design Awards (2003 and 2009) One for his design for six consecutive covers for Rails magazine, and the other for an animated commercial for investment bank Alex.