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.

CARS WITH EPIDERMAL NARRATIVES

The genesis of Ventura’s automotive obsession can be traced back to the quiet chaos of 2020. As galleries shuttered and exhibitions evaporated, the artist’s studio became a laboratory of reinvention. The idea was audacious yet inevitable: Why not bring art to the streets? The car—streamlined, aerodynamic, and alive with potential—became his muse. Ventura’s philosophy revolved around a second layer of “skin,” a term he uses to describe the transformation of a car’s surface into a living, breathing work of art. In his hands, a Porsche’s sleek exterior wasn’t just steel and paint; it was flesh and sinew, ready to be reimagined. The additional epidermal layer was more than decoration—it was an extension of the vehicle’s identity, a reflection of its soul.
The artist explains, “There was a point during the pandemic and the lockdowns—where we couldn’t go anywhere—that I became obsessed with motion, how sculptures can be mobile and not just confined to a specific area. Art itself becomes a lifestyle, a lived-in style.” Later on, by utilizing materials like carbon fiber, synonymous with speed and resilience, Ventura explored textures that shimmered with futuristic menace. These materials not only added an industrial poetry to his designs but also underscored the cutting-edge nature of hypercars, aligning with the dystopian undertones balanced with reconfigured cartoon characters often present in his work.

CHIMERAS & SPEED DEMONS

Ventura’s automotive artworks are populated by a menagerie of chimeras—half-human, half-beast creatures that have long haunted his canvases. A lion’s head roars from the hood of a Porsche 911, its mane unraveling into flames. A skeletal hand clutches the wheel, its knuckles taut with tension. These aren’t just embellishments; they’re visceral symbols of the primal energy that cars represent. Speed is a kind of power, and power, in Ventura’s world, is never unambiguous. It’s raw, dangerous and seductive.
His use of multilayered imagery is a direct extension of his studio work. Ventura doesn’t merely paint on cars; he builds narratives across their surfaces. One panel might depict a serene, dreamlike landscape, while another explodes with frenetic chaos—a deliberate commentary on the duality of the human condition. The cars become moving galleries, their exteriors pulsating with meaning.

COLLABORATIONS ON THE FAST LANE

Ventura’s foray into automotive art wasn’t a solitary pursuit. His collaborations with luminaries in the car world elevated his creations to iconic status. In 2022, he joined forces with TechArt, a German tuning company renowned for transforming Porsche vehicles into bespoke masterpieces. Together, they unveiled the GTstreet R Art Car, a Porsche 911 Turbo S reimagined through Ventura’s lens. It wasn’t just a car; it was a declaration of intent, a statement that art could thrive in unexpected places.
The following year, Ventura and TechArt pushed the boundaries even further with the GTstreet R Cabriolet Art Car. Its exterior bore Ventura’s trademark layers of symbols, colors, and forms—a kaleidoscope of chaos restrained by the car’s precise engineering. These collaborations weren’t just about aesthetic innovation; they were about bridging worlds: art and performance, creativity and precision.
Ventura also ventured into Japan’s storied car culture, collaborating with Akira Nakai of Rauh-Welt Begriff (RWB). Known for his custom Porsches that blend aggression with elegance, Nakai turned out to be a kindred spirit. Their partnership culminated in works that resonated with enthusiasts and collectors alike, merging cultural symbols with automotive aesthetics.

HYPERCARS AS MYTHIC BEASTS

To understand Ventura’s obsession with hypercars, one must consider their cultural significance. These machines are modern-day chariots, symbols of wealth, speed, and status. But in Ventura’s hands, they become something more—a canvas for exploring humanity’s contradictions. The hypercar, with its sleek lines and roaring engine, is both predator and prey, a totem of ambition and a cautionary tale about excess.
Ventura’s works juxtapose the hyper-modernity of these vehicles with imagery evoking ancient myths and rituals. A McLaren’s hood might bear the image of a minotaur, its labyrinthine muscles rippling with energy. A Lamborghini’s flank could host a spectral figure, half-shrouded in mist, as if it had emerged from some forgotten folklore. These juxtapositions force viewers to confront the timelessness of humanity’s love affair with speed and power.

THE ROAD AHEAD:
AN ARTIST IN LOVE WITH MOTION

As of 2024, Ventura’s automotive art shows no signs of slowing down. His solo exhibition, “Grey Avenue,” held at Whitestone Ginza New Gallery, was a culmination of years of exploration and experimentation. The show featured not just completed vehicles but also sketches, prototypes, and conceptual works, offering viewers a glimpse into his creative process.
Ventura’s momentum continues into 2025 with an eagerly anticipated exhibition titled “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.
—IDB