Bio

Ariana R. Orozco (b. 1999) is a visual artist from Ecuador whose work examines social issues through strange creatures made up of elements from nature. The characters in her paintings are created through an understanding of the cultural and historical meaning of certain plants or animals. Since different species are associated with specific emotions, or even become symbols, depending on time and context, they can be a powerful tool to metaphorically explore complex subjects. Amongst the more recurrent creatures in her work there is, for example, plantain people, to discuss the struggle of those living in "banana republics", also, vampiric orchids, to represent corrupt politicians, amongst others.

Her career came to a start after receiving the New Mariano Aguilera Art Prize in 2022 and thus exhibiting at the Center of Cotemporary Art of Quito. In 2023 she moved to Seoul, South Korea, to pursue an MFA in Oriental Painting. There she held two solo exhibitions and was showcased in a number of group exhibitions. In the present, she lives and works from Munich, Germany.

Artist Notes

Banana Republic

I have recently started to paint plantain-people. This came from considering the term "banana republic", an expression meant to refer to the political instability and chaos of South American nations. In the early twentieth century, massive foreign corporations established banana plantations in the continent. To benefit them, local democratic governments were overthrown and dictatorships that served the interests of capital were installed. Plantains thus, become a token of a history of colonialism and foreign interventions. A humanoid plantain can be a symbol for the complex political history and identity. This character is featured on <Body Checking> and on <Cornucopia or Poor on a Rich Land>.

In one of my recent paintings, <Body Checking>, a plantain-woman is obsessively surveilling her own appearance by staring into multiple reflective surfaces. Here the historical and cultural meaning of plantains merges with another subject: beauty standards. Women from Latin America often straighten their hair, go under surgery, use skin bleaching products to conform to beauty standards associated with whiteness. The image of a woman harshly monitoring herself in order to shape her appearance into what is accepted, desired and not perceived as “offensive”, is a portrayal of the restlessness produced by cultural colonialism.

Vampire Orchids

Another recurrent creature is the flower “Dracula Vampira”. It is an epiphytic orchid species that can only be found in Ecuador. They grow on top of other plants to feed on its nutrients. They do not kill their host but suck “life” from them. Their petals are dark purple and its center has a pink piece that looks like a mouth. Given its characteristics I often use it to talk about political corruption because, just as plants can have a vampiric relation with each other, so do humans. Specifically when the powerful take advantage of the most vulnerable populations by busting unions, stealing tax payer’s money, and abusing their power. This villainous orchid appears both on <Bad apples> and also on <Once again, news about corruption>.

These creatures, though fictional, are not an escape from reality. Rather, they become a story, a mirror, that forces us to confront the reality upon which we stand.

CV

1999 born in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

based in Munich, Germany.

Education

South Korea

  • 2024 – 2026 | MFA Oriental Painting. Sungshin Women’s University.

Ecuador

  • 2017 – 2021 | BA in Liberal Arts. University of San Francisco in Quito USFQ

Solo Exhibitions

  • 2026 | Dystopian Garden. S101. Seoul, South Korea.

  • 2026 | 외래종 Alien Species. MilimArt Gallery. Seoul, South Korea.

  • 2023 | Dichos para una niñez ejemplar Proverbs for the Exemplary Child. CAC Center of Contemporary Art. Quito, Ecuador.

Group Exhibitions

  • 2026 | 영켜보린 끈 푸는중 As the ropes untangle. Noedul Island Gallery, Seoul South Korea.

  • 2025 | 장바구니를 비우는 법 How to Empty a Shopping Basket. Seongbuk Museum of Art. Seoul, South Korea.

  • 2025 | 장바구니를 비우는 법 How to Empty a Shopping Basket. Seminar Exhibition Department of Oriental Painting, Sungshin Women’s University. Seoul, South Korea.

  • 2025 | 이랜드 문화재단 16기 공모 전시 16th Open Call Shortlist Show. E-Land Cultural Foundation. Seoul, South Korea.

  • 2025 | 씻나락 까먹는 소리 The Sounds of Nonsense, Dapsimni Art Lab. Seoul, South Korea.

  • 2024 | A의 시선으로부터 From the Perspective of A. Seminar Exhibition Department of Oriental Painting, Sungshin Women’s University. Seoul, South Korea.

  • 2022 | Salón de Proyectos Project’s Hall. CAC Center of Contemporary Art. Quito, Ecuador.

Publications

  • 2023 | En la Punta del Meñique At the tip of the fingertip. Editorial El Fakir.

  • 2025 | Mariano Aguilera Art Prize Catalog IV Edition. PMA IV.

Prizes

  • 2025 | <장바구니를 비우는 법> How to Empty a Shopping Basket Catalog.

  • 2025 | Mariano Aguilera Art Prize Catalog IV Edition. PMA IV.

  • 2024 | <A의 시선으로부터> From the Perspective of A Catalog.

  • 2023 | En la Punta del Meñique At the tip of the fingertip. Editorial El Fakir.