Bio

Renato Orara (b. 1961, Bicol, Philippines; lives and works in New York, USA) is an artist recognized for his creations using a ballpoint pen on paper. His drawings portray objects devoid of their context, meaning, and narrative, surpassing the limits imposed by language and material constraints. With a conceptual foundation rooted in interventions and public performance arts in Manila in the 70s, Orara resurfaced from an eight-year Zen medita- tion hiatus to embark on a renewed career with the use of ballpoint ink. Over time he reintroduced concepts into his art, branching out into series of works such as Drawer Drawings, Iraq Memorial, Bookworks, Bloodworks, and Entangled Pairs.

His works are in numerous private and public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, NY, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, TX, and the Singapore Art Museum. Exhibitions include the US Palo Alto Cultural Center, Hosfelt Gallery, Andrea Rosen Gallery, Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, Gallery Joe, OSP Gallery, Joseé Bienvenu Gallery, Leo Fortuna Gallery, the Travelling Gallery, Dominique Fiat Gallery, Alon Segev Gallery, and Silverlens Gallery.

Renato Orara (b. 1961, Bicol, Philippines; lives and works in New York, USA) is an artist recognized for his creations using a ballpoint pen on paper. His drawings portray objects devoid of their context, meaning, and narrative, surpassing the limits imposed by language and material constraints. With a conceptual foundation rooted in interventions and public performance arts in Manila in the 70s, Orara resurfaced from an eight-year Zen medita- tion hiatus to embark on a renewed career with the use of ballpoint ink. Over time he reintroduced concepts into his art, branching out into series of works such as Drawer Drawings, Iraq Memorial, Bookworks, Bloodworks, and Entangled Pairs.

His works are in numerous private and public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, NY, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, TX, and the Singapore Art Museum. Exhibitions include the US Palo Alto Cultural Center, Hosfelt Gallery, Andrea Rosen Gallery, Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, Gallery Joe, OSP Gallery, Joseé Bienvenu Gallery, Leo Fortuna Gallery, the Travelling Gallery, Dominique Fiat Gallery, Alon Segev Gallery, and Silverlens Gallery.

Untitled, 07/2018 (from the ongoing series Ten Thousand Things That Breathe)
2018
8790
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Ballpoint ink on torn paper. variable dimensions
15h x 9.5w in • 38.10h x 24.13w cm (approx.)
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Untitled (from the Iraq Memorial series)
2007
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Ballpoint pen on paper
11h x 11w in • 27.94h x 27.94w cm
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untitled, 06/2010 (from the ongoing series Ten Thousand Things That Breathe)
2010
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ballpoint ink on paper
8h x 5.50w in • 20.32h x 13.97w cm
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Untitled, 12/2014 (from the ongoing series Ten Thousand Things That Breathe)
2014
2823
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ballpoint ink on paper
11.02h x 10.51w in • 28h x 26.70w cm
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Untitled, 2020-01 (from the ongoing series Ten Thousand Things that Breathe)
2020
918
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ballpoint ink on paper
11h x 10.50w in • 27.94h x 26.67w cm
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B 2778 E5 M5 1952 (The Critique of Practical Reason by Immanuel Kant)
2008
914
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Durst Lambda photograph
16h x 20w in 40.64h x 50.80w cm
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Edition of 20
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New Yorker - 08-15 June 2015 issue (from the ongoing series Bookworks)
2015
917
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ballpoint ink on magazine page
10.8 x 15.5 x 0.1 in • 27.4 x 39.4 x 0.3 cm (spread); 10.8 x 7.7 x 0.2 in • 27.4 x 19.6 x 0.5 cm (closed)
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Untitled, 06/2014 (from the ongoing series Ten Thousand Things That Breathe)
2014
2824
1
ballpoint ink on paper
11h x 10.50w in • 27.94h x 26.67w cm
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All The Names Of The Lord (from the ongoing series, "Bookworks")
2017
920
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ballpoint ink on bookpage
9.6h x 13.19w x 1.18d in • 24.3h x 33.5w x 3d cm (spread); 9.6h x 6.3w x 0.79d in • 24.3h x 16w x 2d cm (closed)
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