Oraya
My Artists Profile
My artwork is Spiritually inspired, My Artwork is Stylistically recognisable anywhere. That in itself is my greatest USP.
When I was young I knew I wanted to be an artist. Furthermore, I knew I never wanted to compromise or conform to anything. As soon as I started my journey I had to navigate disappointments and reality checks to uphold my moral compass. My journey started in school, where I was used as a particularly bad example of the painting exercise. College provided further knock-backs where I learnt that I would be marked more highly for creating 'Contemporary' art, which to me, was not what I wanted to produce, and furthermore the pressure to be minimalist and materialistic was simply traumatic.
Exhibiting on my own taught me that to sell enough work to make a living I would need to conform to the boring stereo types; of pretty landscapes, shorelines and fluffy pets, nudes or flowers in vases. It also taught me that to get promoted, or win exhibits was a political game of compromise.
As a teenager I believed that I was never going to get a chance without compromising. Compromise, I strongly believed was not an option. I could not see a path for my artwork to be seen and exhibited without compromise. I was never going to be understood and I wanted my artwork to have a chance to explain its self.
As a result of this predicament, I stopped exhibiting. I realised that If I wanted my work to be seen (pre social media) I would have to build my own Gallery. I resolved to do so before I hit 50 and am currently on track.
There was more to the grim future I foresaw for myself at the time. I got to producing more work which never saw the light of day, and regarded the products of my labour, as if they were my children. I felt I had birthed them and not only were they homeless, they were unseen in the world; furthermore, tragically having run out of storage I had to resort to burning them as a result of not having a place to store them.
I committed an act of destruction. As if it couldn't get worse, I was unable to stop producing work. It was either they had to be destroyed or I would self destruct if I couldn’t continue to make art.
I was desperate. Losing my art that way, was devastating, but it only deepened my resolve to find a way.
It’s my belief that when children come into the world, they come through you, not from you, and it’s your job to nurture and protect them until they are strong in the world.
I cannot compromise my style, nor forsake the source of my creations. Some of my creations come from me and some come through me, it is my life work to channel them, birth and protect them, and that is my human and professional journey.
I will uphold my commitment and make it my mission, to give them a platform, which brings you here. I hope you can engage and interact with them. Here you can be informed of any future exhibitions and events, giving you a chance to meet the art and enjoy coming on this journey with me.
A huge thank you, to all my supporters and collaborators over the years.
My core values are that I will continue to create, beautiful meaningful works, and not compromise them in any shape or form.
They are all originals. I do not take commissions.
Less about me and more about the art, please enjoy the Gallery.
I am still, undiscovered. With vacancies for both sponsors and patrons, as well as air hanger owners, to provide fly in exhibition space.
If you want to purchase art, please do so through the website, or contact me directly.
