Felipe R.J. Marcel was born in Santurce Puerto Rico on the 28th of March, 1965.  At the age of seven he began painting classes with his father, but it was his mother that introduced him to sculpture. At fifteen he took up the sport of gymnastics, and despite his 6-foot-tall frame, he had a respectable career in the sport, making the Temple University gymnastic team in Philadelphia, and the Puerto Rico national team.  However, a knee and lower back injury forced him to retire. Felipe then took art back up and started a career.
Felipe Marcel’s art resides in the permanent collections of seven museums and galleries throughout the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.  He also received the Biennial of Contemporary Ceramics of Puerto Rico in 1990 and an honorable mention in 1993.