A single photograph of two men walking arm in arm through New York’s Lower East Side on a Sunday morning turned one name famous overnight.
Rafael Olarra, an Argentine art director and creative director at Faena Group, went from being well-known in design and luxury hospitality circles to becoming one of the most-searched names on the internet in February 2026.
He is best known professionally as the art director of Faena Group, the ultra-luxury hotel and arts brand founded by entrepreneur Alan Faena, a role he has held since 2015.
Olarra was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and grew up partly in the province of Gualeguaychú.
He studied painting, photography, sculpture, and film art direction at the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires before building his career across Madrid, Miami, and New York.
He is openly gay and was previously linked to Welsh actor Luke Evans between 2019 and 2021.
He keeps his personal life largely private and does not discuss relationships publicly. Most of what is known about him comes from his own Instagram account and coverage from outlets including Hollywood Life and Out magazine.
The reason was his repeated public appearances alongside actor Pedro Pascal, but the people who went looking found something far richer than a celebrity-adjacent story.
They found an Instagram feed worth following, a portfolio that spans Vogue to Cirque du Soleil, and a career built on turning physical spaces and visual images into layered, lasting experiences.
This post covers it all, from his background and photography work to his professional life and what is actually known about his connection to Pedro Pascal.
What Rafael Olarra’s Instagram Actually Looks Like
Image Source: esquirecolombia.com
His Instagram, under the handle @rafaolarra, documents travel across Europe, Africa, North America, and South America.
The feed mixes reflective literary captions with adventure photography, covering everything from a safari at Anabezi Camp in Zambia to a quiet afternoon in upstate New York that he describes as his happy place.
He has been verified on the platform since 2021.
Posts alongside figures like Cher and Gisele Bündchen give a clear picture of the social world he operates in.
Every image reflects a trained visual eye, which makes sense given his background in photography and film art direction.
What does Rafael Olarra Do at Faena?
Image Source: bfa.com
Since 2015, Olarra has served as art director at Faena Group, the ultra-luxury hotel and arts brand founded by Argentine entrepreneur Alan Faena.
His own website describes the role plainly: he is responsible for bringing Alan Faena’s vision to life across the entire Faena district.
In practice, that means overseeing everything from staff uniforms and social media to the theatrical interiors for which Faena is internationally known, including red velvet walls, gold-leafed columns, and a Damien Hirst-designed gilded woolly mammoth installation.
He has described the work as managing a live movie set.
Pedro Pascal and Rafael Olarra Spotted Together
Image Source: who.com
The first sighting was February 6, 2026, when the two were photographed linking arms on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, heading to Sunday lunch.
Over Valentine’s Day weekend, they were seen again in New York, this time attending a screening of Wuthering Heights together.
Later that month, they were photographed in Beverly Hills, where Pascal wrapped his arm around Olarra’s waist and rested his chin on Olarra’s shoulder.
A video from March 5 shows both men walking side by side through Mexico City.
Reports from Hola and Parade indicate they also attended the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, though neither walked the red carpet together.
What Neither Pedro Pascal Nor Rafael Olarra Has Said
Image Source: yahoo.com
Neither has issued a statement nor publicly addressed the nature of their relationship.
When approached by a photographer in Beverly Hills, both reportedly declined to comment.
Pascal has previously said that personal relationships are a complex thing to manage, even without a large public lens on them.
Olarra’s approach has been the same throughout his career: his website, his interviews, and his social media all focus on his work, not his personal life.
Who Rafael Olarra Dated Before Pedro Pascal
Image Source: people.com
Olarra was previously linked to Welsh actor Luke Evans, known for roles in Beauty and the Beast, Dracula Untold, and Nine Perfect Strangers.
The two went Instagram official in February 2020, per People.
By January 2021, Evans confirmed the split in an interview with The Sunday Times, saying simply, “it is what it is.”
That relationship was the first time Olarra’s name appeared in entertainment media, and it remains the starting point for most background searches of his personal history.
What Rafael Olarra Keeps Private
Image Source: tvovermind.com
His professional biography on Rafismo focuses entirely on his work as an art director and creative director.
No interviews discuss his personal life, and his Instagram, while warm and personal in tone, documents places, books, and experiences rather than relationships.
That consistency across years of public presence is what made the Pedro Pascal sightings so unusual.
A man who had successfully kept his private life out of the conversation found himself at the center of one he had not started.
Conclusion
Rafael Olarra arrived in the public conversation through a photograph, but what kept people searching was far more than that.
His Instagram feed offers a window into a life that moves between Zambia and Mallorca, luxury hotel design and personal photography, and high-fashion campaigns and quiet afternoons in upstate New York.
His career at Faena Group represents over a decade of building one of the most visually ambitious brands in luxury hospitality, while Rafismo and his freelance portfolio demonstrate a creative range that stretches well beyond any single category.
Whether someone discovered Rafael Olarra through the Pedro Pascal sightings or came to him through design and fashion, what they found was a figure whose work and presence stand entirely on their own terms, long before any celebrity connection made him a trending name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Rafael Olarra Pedro Pascal?
Rafael, known for his work in art direction (including at Faena) and a past high-profile romance with actor Luke Evans (2020-2021), has been linked to Pedro in tabloids and on social media as the pair keeps getting spotted together.
Does Rafa Still Live in Mallorca?
In 2013, he bought a 4-million-euro seafront villa in Porto Cristo, a short drive from his hometown, where he currently lives.
Does Rafael Olarra Have a Child?
Father of, with Carolina Zaio, Josefa Olarra (b. August 21, 2003) and Rafael Olarra Jr. (b. October 29, 2012).
