Andrea Orejarena (b. 1994, Colombia) is a multi-media artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Orejarena graduated from Vassar College in 2017 with a degree in Cognitive Science and Fine Art. Orejarena’s work employs play and fantasy’s subversive power to examine the American Dream and ways media influences our desire and agency. Orejarena’s work is in various permanent collections including Nguyen Art Foundation and the Thomas H. Lee & Ann Tenenbaum Family Collection and her book is number of institutional libraries including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and Museum of Fine Arts Houston, The Center for Book Arts, among others. Orejarena often works as an artist duo with Caleb Stein (b. 1994, UK). Their first book ‘Long Time No See’ was published by Jiazazhi Press in 2022 with texts by Do Tuong Linh and Forensic Architecture. Their second book, ‘American Glitch’ is forthcoming with Gnomic Books in 2024 with an introduction by David Campany. As solo artists and as duo artists, Orejarena’s work has been published in The British Journal of Photography, Vogue Italia, i-D Vice, Port Magazine, Der Greif, Palm Studios, It’s Nice That, Paper Journal Magazine among other places. Orejarena’s work has been exhibited internationally at Belfast Photo Festival, Northern Ireland; Vincom Center for Contemporary Art, Hanoi; Museum of the Moving Image, New York; Vin Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City; The Curator’s Room, Amsterdam; Special Edition Projects, Shanghai among others with a forthcoming solo exhibition at Palo Gallery, New York and The Center for Photographic Art, California. Orejarena & Stein’s work has been nominated for a number of major photographic awards including the Hariban Benrido Grant (nominated by Yasufumi Nakamori, senior curator, Tate). In 2020, the W. Eugene Smith Grant recognized Orejarena & Stein’s work ‘Long Time No See’, and ultimately restructured their submission process to allow duos and collectives to apply after decades of solely accepting submissions from individual photographers. Orejarena & Stein were the 2023 recipients of The Center for Photographic Art Artist Grant and the 2021 Michael Reichmann Project Grant.
EDUCATION
2017 BA, Vassar College, NY
ARTIST BOOKS
2023 American Glitch, forthcoming publication by Gnomic Book Made with Caleb Stein. Introduction by David Campany. Design by Jason Koxvold and edit by Shane Rocheleau 2022 Long Time No See, artist book published by Jiazazhi Press
Texts by Forensic Architecture and Đỗ Tường Linh, designed in collaboration with Brian Paul Lamotte 2022 Hariban/Benrido Award Catalogue, ‘Long Time No See’ text by Yasufumi Nakamori (Senior Curator, Tate)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 American Glitch, Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, California (upcoming) 2024 American Glitch, PALO Gallery, NY (upcoming)
2023 American Glitch, Belfast Photo Festival, Northern Ireland
2022 Long Time No See, Special Editions Project (Sep), Shanghai, China 2021 Full of Surprises, Vin Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022 The Real Wild, PALO GALLERY, NY
2022 Orejarena & Stein, The Curator’s Room, Amsterdam, Netherlands (curated by Gabriel Rolt, exhibited alongside Francisco de Goya, Adam Broomberg, and Jake & Dinos Chapman) 2020 Long Time No See, Vincom Center for Contemporary Art, Hanoi, Vietnam (curated by Mizuki Endo & Đỗ Tường Linh)
2020 ‘Long Time No See’, Broken Screen Festival, La Paternal Espacio Proyecto, traveling group exhibition, Buenos Aires
2020 ‘Long Time No See’, Little Island Festival, upcoming screening, Sikinos, Greece 2019 Under the Subway Video Art Night, Museum of the Moving Image, New York
AWARDS
2023 Winner, Artist Grant Recipient, Center for Photographic Art, California 2023 Shortlist, Images Vevey Book Award
2023 Shortlist, Spotlight Award, Belfast Photo Festival
2022 CENTER Review Santa Fe, Scholarship Recipient 2022 Gomma Grant, nomination
2021 Hariban/Benrido Prize, nominated by Yasufumi Nakamori, Senior Curator at Tate Modern. Nakamori contributed text about ‘Long Time No See’, the work he selected published in the Hariban/Benrido catalogue
2021 Critical Mass, finalist 2021 Michael Reichmann Project Grant, Photo Lucida
2020 W. Eugene Smith Grant, nominated by Teju Cole, former photography critic for The New York Times 2020 FOAM Talent, longlist
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Nguyen Art Foundation, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Thomas H. Lee & Ann Tenenbaum Family Collection MoMA (library collection)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (library collection)
Museum of Fine Arts Houston (library collection)
The Center for Book Arts (library collection)
ARTIST TALKS / LECTURES
2023 Center for Photographic Art, invited by Ann Jastrab
2022 Penumbra Foundation, invited by photographer David Rothenberg
2021 Philadelphia Photo Arts Center (TILT)
2021 International Center of Photography (ICP), invited by photographer Kathryn Harrison
2021 University College London (UCL), Art Business Summit
2020 Christie’s Education, Christie’s Conversations in Contemporary Art, invited by Kathleen Madden, ArtForum
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY / ARTICLES / INTERVIEWS
2023 The Value of Expanded Authorship in Andrea Orejarena & Caleb Stein’s New Book, Vogue Italia, Rica Cerbarano, January, 2023. 2023 A Glitch in the American Dream, Der Greif, Francesca Hummer, January, 2023.
2023 American Glitch by Photographers Andrea Orejarena & Caleb Stein, Booooooom, January, 2023
2022 Long Time No See, Marigold Warner, The British Journal of Photography
2022 American Glitch, Kim Holtermand, Nowhere Diary
2022 American Glitch, PHMuseum
2022 Are we living in a simulation? American Glitch, Ayla Angelos, It’s Nice That
2022 Long Time No See, Danilo Rößger, Leica Camera Blog
2021 Orejarena & Stein Open Up About Their Collaborative Series “Andrea”, Rica Cerbarano, Vogue Italia 2021 Orejarena & Stein: A Couple in Love Photograph Their Life on the Road, Ryan White, i-D Vice
2021 Orejarena & Stein, Ayla Angelos, Port Magazine
2021 Interview: Long Time No See, Jiazazhi Press Blog (English Version)
2021 Interview: Long Time No See, Jiazazhi Press Blog (Mandarin Version)
2020 Looking Further Through the Lens, Jasmine Jackson, The Earth Issue
2020 I Can Change, Through Exchange, Steve Bisson, Urbanautica
2020 Long Time No See, Palm* Studios
2020 Orejarena & Stein Capture The ‘Memory and Legacy’ of the Vietnam-American War, Agyla Angelos, It’s Nice That
2020 If Memory was a Room, Hà Đào, Matca