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Painter Iñaki Oreja opens new Orai Atelier studio in Zumaia's Old Town

The Zumaia-based artist inaugurates a space to create and exhibit his abstract work, with a focus on vibrant colors.

A painter's studio in the Basque Country, filled with abstract colorful canvases. Sunlight streams through a window, illuminating dust motes. A worn wooden easel stands in the center, with brushes and paint tubes scattered on a nearby table.
IA

A painter's studio in the Basque Country, filled with abstract colorful canvases. Sunlight streams through a window, illuminating dust motes. A worn wooden easel stands in the center, with brushes and paint tubes scattered on a nearby table.

Zumaia-based painter Iñaki Oreja has opened a new studio in Zumaia's Old Town to create and exhibit his work, with a strong emphasis on color.

Painter Iñaki Oreja expresses his deep affection for Zumaia's Old Town, particularly the small square of Sanjuaniturri. "I was born on Harategi street, number 9, and I love this whole area," he explains from his studio, named Orai Atelier. This is not an art gallery, but his workshop for creating art, though it will also serve to display his finished pieces.
Oreja didn't have to move far for the new space, as he previously had another studio in the same small square. At that time, he shared the premises with fellow Zumaia artist Garbiñe Arrieta, in the very spot where the Sorazu shop once stood. "That location was on Harategi street, and this one is at the beginning of San Pedro street," Oreja clarifies.
Both artists rented that studio, but Oreja has now decided to purchase the property. The building's facade was undergoing renovation for over a year, and after the work was completed, Arrieta found a new location. Oreja would have had to bear the rent alone, prompting him to decide on renting a space in another building that was also being renovated.
Orai Atelier also serves as a venue to exhibit his abstract artworks. "I never thought I would have a space to exhibit my work," Oreja admits, though he doesn't rule out opening his doors to other artists in the future.
Oreja has focused on abstract art in recent years, particularly since 2020. In his work, color takes precedence over form. "When I face the canvas, I have a constant rotation in my head about which colors I will use when creating the painting," he says.
He achieves his desired imagery by placing the paints horizontally on the canvas and spreading and mixing them with spatulas. "In the end, I place the canvas on the easel and paint the background, blending all the paints and colors I've used," he explains.
Iñaki Oreja will participate in the international art fair Artmuc in Munich, Germany, at the end of October, through the Gaudi art gallery from Madrid. He can bring three works: one of his choice and two selected by gallery members. These pieces will be exhibited in the Madrid gallery during the summer season.
Later in the year, the painter also announced his participation in an art event in Azpeitia. In the meantime, he will continue working in Zumaia's Old Town, emphasizing that his doors are always open.

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