A leading figure of Southeast Asian Art | New Day
This whole month of August, we shine a spotlight on Filipino artists making a name for themselves not only on local shores but also internationally.
This morningwe focus on this contemporary Filipino artist Ronald Ventura is best known for his paintings and sculptures which often reflect the forces and influences that have shaped the history of the Philippines and Filipinos.
He's one of the highest-selling artists from Southeast Asia with his works being sold at record-breaking prices at auctions abroad.
Lucky for us Ronald is joining us now here in the studio to tell us more about his artistic journey.
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This morningwe focus on this contemporary Filipino artist Ronald Ventura is best known for his paintings and sculptures which often reflect the forces and influences that have shaped the history of the Philippines and Filipinos.
He's one of the highest-selling artists from Southeast Asia with his works being sold at record-breaking prices at auctions abroad.
Lucky for us Ronald is joining us now here in the studio to tell us more about his artistic journey.
Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/
Follow our social media pages:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines
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NewsTranscript
00:00 This whole month of August, we shine a spotlight on Filipino artists making a name for themselves
00:04 not only on local shores but also internationally.
00:07 This morning, we focus on this contemporary Filipino artist who's among the leading figures
00:12 of Southeast Asian art.
00:14 Ronald Ventura is best known for his paintings and sculptures, which often reflect the forces
00:18 and influences that have shaped the history of the Philippines and Filipinos.
00:23 He's one of the highest selling artists from Southeast Asia, with his works being sold
00:26 at record-breaking prices at auctions abroad.
00:29 Well, lucky for us, Ronald is joining us now here in the studio, live to tell us more about
00:34 his artistic journey.
00:35 Good morning, Ronald.
00:36 Hi, Donald.
00:37 Hi, good morning.
00:38 We got you up early, Ronald.
00:40 Listen, you have got shows all over the world.
00:43 You've got works being sold at record-breaking prices, as we said, auctions left and right.
00:48 But let's talk about your humble beginnings.
00:51 You were born in Manila in 1973.
00:54 You studied painting in UST, 1993.
00:57 You had your first two solo painting shows, and in 2000, everything else from there, the
01:02 rest is history, as we say.
01:04 Now, tell us about your experience carving out your name in this industry.
01:08 Like I said, from very humble beginnings to where you are now.
01:11 Okay, so it's very long to talk about this story.
01:15 What are some of the highlights?
01:17 Actually, the first highlights that I made, maybe I think from the organized exhibition,
01:28 it's like the 13 Artist Awards from the CCP.
01:32 I'm one of the 13 artists awardee.
01:35 I think that's the first time I had, together with a group, an exhibition that-
01:41 Brought a lot of attention and brought the spotlight that you so well deserve.
01:47 Ronald, you started receiving awards.
01:51 You held your first US exhibition in 2009, and you're one of the most successful artists
01:55 now in Southeast Asia.
01:57 What does it feel like when you finally hit that level of success where people recognize
02:03 your art, recognize its value, and really pay attention to the message that you're trying
02:10 to get across?
02:12 Okay, actually it's a very long story.
02:21 I think the best things are the experiences that I've been to when I go places, like when
02:32 I go to other countries or visit other museums and et cetera.
02:37 More of that experience made me more confident in a way of expressing my art.
02:47 I mean, there's a lot of influences like here, our cultural references and also international.
02:59 Your works are known for their very multi-layered, almost graffiti-esque qualities to it.
03:06 It's a great mix of hyper-realism, a cartoon sort of style.
03:11 There are anime elements on there.
03:13 Some are very bright colors contrasted with monochromatic sort of scenes where you create
03:19 sort of a montage of all these different elements.
03:21 Where did that style come from, Ronald?
03:23 Actually, layerings, it first comes up with a concept like here in the Philippines, like
03:32 the sapin-sapin.
03:33 Yes.
03:34 It's a layered and also one of the layers is our defining an image or defining a word
03:42 or a language.
03:44 So it makes a lot of layerings beyond that.
03:49 And also, I'm using the, now we're using the computers, so in the early 2000s.
03:57 I used to use the Photoshop for my composition.
04:03 We're seeing some of the works on screen now.
04:05 It's really different, Ronald.
04:06 You've got an amazing, amazing and very distinct sort of style.
04:11 You of course dabble in, or not dabble, but you work in different disciplines.
04:17 You've got painting, you've got digital art, and you've got sculpture as well.
04:23 What do you like the most in terms of these disciplines?
04:28 You're known for your paintings, but you're also quite the accomplished sculptor.
04:31 Actually, the basic foundation probably is the drawing, the drawing content to every
04:38 images that I represent, like for the sculptures.
04:42 I usually made a lot of sketches and drawings before I go into the canvas.
04:47 Even before you go into the molded form or 3D form.
04:51 What particular medium are you working with?
04:53 Plastics, resins, metals?
04:55 Yes, for the sculptures, now I'm using the component of carbon fiber that I use for the
05:02 race cars to make it faster and lighter.
05:06 So now it's one of my new medium that I'm working on right now.
05:12 Exciting.
05:13 Ronald, I don't know if you care to discuss this, but what is your most expensive painting
05:19 that you've auctioned?
05:21 I understand Christie's took care of this and it was record-breaking.
05:25 You should be proud of an achievement like this.
05:28 Yes, I was happy.
05:29 What is that painting?
05:32 Do you care to share what it was sold for?
05:34 Actually, it's the painting I titled "The Party Animal."
05:40 So "The Party Animal" is a huge painting.
05:42 It's an 8 by 12 feet.
05:45 Why do you think it sold so well?
05:46 I'm not really sure because now, maybe during the time it's a little bit not so happy.
05:56 It's like we're under the COVID time.
06:00 So my work represents us like a party.
06:05 Maybe it's just like something like a boost from the boringness of everyday life.
06:12 True. Ronald, what are some of the themes that you want to now focus on with your works?
06:24 What is the message that you want to get across and what are the new discoveries about yourself
06:29 as an artist from the point of where you are now?
06:34 I think there's so much influence from all over.
06:46 I think now I'm turning some process into art cars.
06:57 I'm modifying some of the sports cars.
07:01 It looks like that's a passion of yours that you're indulging in.
07:04 But you're managing to combine your passions.
07:08 I know that you're also working on a great collaboration with your art and the automotive world.
07:14 So this is something exciting that we can look forward to.
07:17 It's an upcoming exhibit or certainly an upcoming collaboration.
07:21 Let's wait for that. It's going to be an exciting one.
07:24 Ronald, I have to say we are so proud of the work that you're doing.
07:27 We're so proud that you're carrying our flag so proudly in the art world.
07:31 Thank you so much for taking time to share your thoughts on art and where you are now.
07:36 Ronald, thank you so much.
07:38 Thank you.