Ronald Ventura, the Filipino art world’s shape-shifting savant, has always danced on the edges of chaos and clarity. His paintings, sculptures, and installations teem with a delirious vitality—human figures morphing into beasts, technicolor explosions colliding with grayscale solemnity. It is no surprise, then, that when the pandemic hit and the world’s art spaces shrank, Ventura found a new expanse to paint on: the open road. The car, for Ventura, is no mere vehicle. It is a symbol of power, an extension of human identity, and a vessel for storytelling. During a time when humanity was forced indoors, Ventura chose to explore what it meant to be mobile, to break free of confinement. His journey into automotive art—melding hypercars with his distinctive visual vocabulary—is a high-octane odyssey into the modern psyche, rendered in carbon fiber, lacquer and adrenaline. As Ventura’s creations streak across highways and racetracks, they carry with them the weight of his imagination—a reminder that even in a world obsessed with efficiency and functionality, there is still room for wonder.

“Pressure and Pleasure” at Whitestone Ginza Gallery, on view from Jan. 8 to Feb. 1, 2025. This new showcase promises to delve deeper into the evolving relationship between art and technology, exploring themes of mobility, identity, and the human condition through Ventura’s distinctive lens. Visitors can expect a diverse array of artworks, art cars and anything accessorial, all showcasing the artist’s ongoing dialogue between innovation and tradition. He explains, “I’m very fascinated with the experience of the speed, how you handle the speed with precision and control. So it’s the same as my approach to art. Sometimes, there is bound to be a clash of images in the process. You can also see the manipulations of the techniques combined with different layers culled from cultural and historical facts—including pop culture.” Much like pistons in motion, it’s a constant push and pull. By engaging audiences with the dynamic interplay of automotive aesthetics and cultural narratives, Ventura challenges conventional boundaries and invites a deeper understanding of the transformative power of art. “Art should not be caged in a piece of square or rectangular space, tucked away inside secret rooms,” says the artist. In Ronald Ventura’s world, the car is more than a machine. It’s a myth, a metaphor, a moving masterpiece. By fusing his distinctive artistic style with the world of hypercars, he has created a body of work that transcends genres and defies expectations. His automotive art isn’t just about speed or beauty; it’s about the stories we tell ourselves as we hurtle through time and space.

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