Ronald Ventura

Ronald Ventura is a contemporary Filipino artist renowned for his dynamic fusion of realism, cartoons, and graffiti.

Biography of Ronald Ventura

Ronald Ventura was born in 1973 in Manila, Philippines. He received a BFA in painting from the University of Santo Tomas in 1993.

In 2011, Ventura's painting "Grayground" set a record for the highest price ever paid for a work of Southeast Asian contemporary art, fetching $1.1 million at Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong. This landmark sale underscored Ventura's significant impact on the art market and solidified his reputation as a leading figure in contemporary art.

His works have been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions held at various galleries and museums worldwide, inlcuding Whitestone Ginza New Gallery in Tokyo, New Art Museum Singapore in Singapore, Primo Marella Gallery in Milan, Tyler Rollins Fine Art Gallery in New York, West Gallery in Quezon City, The Metropolitan Museum of Manila, and many more.

The artist continues to live and work in Manila, Philippines.

Ronald Ventura's Art Style

Ventura's work is characterized by a rich layering of images and styles, including hyperrealism, cartoons, and graffiti. He uses this layering as a metaphor for the complex national identity of the Philippines, shaped over centuries by various occupying powers like Spain, Japan, and the United States, alongside its indigenous culture. This blend of influences has created a multifaceted and sometimes uneasy sense of identity. Ventura delves into this complexity through a visual dialogue, merging Eastern and Western aesthetics, high and low art, and references to both Old Master paintings and Japanese and American cartoons.

“
I will paint and update a painting until I am satisfied. It’s like a film director who is shooting a scene—at certain points he will feel like he needs more extras or more light.
Ronald Ventura

During his residency at STPI, which emphasizes materials, Ventura deeply explored printmaking and paper as creative mediums. This exploration also inspired him to reflect on environmental issues and the depletion of natural resources. Ventura conveyed the potential dangers and pitfalls of modern obsessions by juxtaposing images, layering pop culture and classical painting references with symbols of destruction. He employed paper cast impressions of furniture reliefs from the Philippines and drawings on lithography to illustrate these themes.

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