PRESS RELEASE

Primary is proud to present Reniel is Here, a solo exhibition by Reniel Del Rosario. Known for his rigorous yet playful ceramic works, Del Rosario interrogates the fraught terrains of commodification, cultural value, and collective memory through accumulations of hand-built objects that blur the line between consumer goods and cultural artifacts.

In Reniel is Here, Del Rosario draws inspiration from a singular yet resonant cultural landmark: Robert is Here, a beloved fruit stand on the eastern edge of Florida's Everglades. Since 1959, this stand has been a vibrant node of local commerce and community; its maximalist signage and abundant produce act as a visual testament to resilience amid the inexorable forces of gentrification and development. Del Rosario's project captures the complex negotiations between permanence and change, intimacy and spectacle, local histories and the pressures of corporate homogenization.

Through distinct ceramic assemblages, Del Rosario disrupts conventional notions of worth, authenticity, and cultural memory. His works function as both homage and critique, reflecting a keen awareness of how objects accumulate meaning over time, while also exposing the fragility of place and identity in an age of relentless redevelopment.

Del Rosario's practice is deeply rooted in materiality and the contradictions of handmade labor amid mass production, raising urgent questions about what is preserved, what is lost, and who decides.By reimagining everyday objects as carriers of layered histories, Reniel is Here invites viewers to recalibrate their own sense of value, to witness the overlooked resilience of local culture, and to consider the stakes of cultural survival in a rapidly shifting landscape.

Opens September 6, 2025 at 5 PM
On view until October 4, 2025

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Reniel Del Rosario (b. 1997 Iba, Philippines) is an artist who primarily uses ceramics, quantity, and satire to discuss themes of commodification and value. He holds a BA in Art Practice from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a 2019 recipient of the Center for Craft's Windgate-Lamar fellowship, a 2022 SFMOMA Artists Soapbox Derby racer, and a 2025 NCECA Emerging Artist. His work has been featured in publications such as ARTFORUM, Sculpture Magazine, and Bon Appétit. Del Rosario's work has been exhibited extensively internationally through traditional and alternative venues such as West Coast Craft, Meta Open Arts, the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Catharine Clark Gallery, other places Art Fair, Load Na Dito, Praise Shadows Art Gallery, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Jane Lombard Gallery, and simply on the public sidewalk.

Primary (Est. 2007) is a context and research-driven curatorial collective with an emphasis on public art. We thrive amongst the self-taught, working-class misfits, who explore the margins of a new Americana through pungent, human-focused narratives. Our program engages with the raw and uncanny, celebrating border voices, bootleg culture, and intergenerational commentary, connecting the new and unseen with broader audiences and evolving collections.

For further information, please contact info@thisisprimary.com