Multimedia visual artist Oree Originol serves as a witness to our time, translating the chaos of current events into visceral art that cannot be ignored. Born in Glendale, CA to Mexican-immigrant parents and raised in the same North East Los Angeles home until early adulthood, Originol came of age in a neighborhood defined by gang activity and drug addiction. That environment forced an early awareness of the systemic issues that uniquely impact communities of color. Art became his lens for processing this world. What began as self-taught experimentation evolved into graffiti, where he adopted the alias, "Oree", a childhood nickname mocking his big ears which derived from the Spanish word, "orejas" (ears). He later paired it with "Originol," a salute to West Coast urban culture. The name anchors his identity as a native son of Los Angeles, channeling the streets where he grew up into a visual language that challenges the systems that divide us while imagining the ones that unite us. 

In 2009, Oree relocated to the Bay Area, seeking creative and personal growth in a new environment. He expanded his practice to include digital art, a skillset that would prove essential in 2014, when he launched his groundbreaking open-source project, "Justice For Our Lives". The series consists of 1,000 black & white digital portraits honoring individuals killed by U.S. law enforcement since the turn of the century. The work expanded beyond the digital sphere when it was reproduced widely in museums, classrooms, and public demonstrations against police brutality across the country. The project's reach continued to grow: In 2020, it was featured at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. as part of "¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now", a traveling group exhibition that included the Amon Carter Museum, the Hood Museum, and the Frist Art Museum. 

At the heart of Oree's practice lies a vibrant figurative world, populated by human characters who carry the weight of the stories he tells. His visual language is built from flat, graphic shapes, a style designed to translate seamlessly across multiple mediums, including painting, digital art, stencils, and screen printing. The execution strikes a careful balance between measured precision and organic spontaneity, resulting in illustrations that feel both playful and cartoonish. Informed by his experience as a Chicano artist from California and inspired by the legacy of social justice activism in the Bay Area, his work continues to engage communities and amplify awareness of social issues causes.