Ella Orencillo: Defining the Colors of Love through her Art

As the saying goes “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. A saying that best describes this extraordinary plain Jane with hifalutin dreams. Meet Romela Elanzano Orencillo, best known by people and her friends as Ella Orencillo. Started her journey in the world of arts in 1999 as an airbrush artist trainee in the Philippines and moved to the UAE in 2008 where she worked as a muralist and began to discover her skills in painting on canvases through acquired knowledge in 2010.

Ella describes her style of art as something vivid, as it produces powerful messages through her visual works. She also associates her craft as being playful and feminine yet well thought of with a burst of vibrant colors that best represents her quirkiness.

With the thriving art scene in the emirates, it was a huge opportunity for Ella for the past 13 years that her work also thrived. She believes that this country is a place of progress and a haven for people in the creative industry. A lot of opportunities and open doors for new talents to show their passion and love for the arts.  Her works got shortlisted for the prestigious Sheikha Manal’s Young Artists Award and a semi-finalist for New Era introducing category winner for Kid Robot’s Munny Munth commissioned by Dubai Culture for “The City is your Canvass” wherein here artwork got exhibited in Jumeirah Beach Residences. She was also recognized by City Time and Khaleej Times as their front cover and was also featured at Emirates Love Philippines. In the year 2010 she was named one of the Top 10 Artists to watch by Time Out Dubai. Her mural works can be seen in some local restaurants, cafes and in various malls in the city such as “THAT ” in the Mall of the Emirates, ROVE Hotel in La Mer, Level Shoes and the Baden Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai. Currently Ella is working on her biggest mural project to date, a 400 x 16-meter building facade. To add to her achievements, her works were also exhibited in New York and Barcelona wherein it opened opportunities for her to be recognized internationally.

This plain Jane believes that art is a self-expression more than anything else. According to her “I have come to realize that as the years go by, my artworks speak to my journey of discovering and developing self-love and it is like a visual diary of self-discovery”.

Asking her opinion as an artist of what the color of love is based on her visual perception, she mentioned “Black, White and the Rainbow colors, because it should cover every color in the world” As for love should know no colors. As someone who loves and breathes art, Ella is fond of telling her friends to work with all your heart. Putting one’s heart and soul into whatever you do. Do not think of doing art as a career as it will put pressure into oneself. For those artists starting to discover their interest and love for this craft, Ella’s advice is to “Work with a happy heart and everything else will follow”.