Fabric, a material that seemingly begs for human touch, is something we all have a level of familiarity with. Whether it is clothing worn or removed from the body, commercially bought, hand dyed, or recycled weathered canvas, Arao harnesses the tactility and multiple interpretations of fabric, often alluding to its central relationship to the human body.

Precisely sewn together into tapestry-like wall works, Arao’s background in painting is evident in his mastery of color and composition. Paired with his conceptual link to his identity as a gay Filipino-American, Arao’s works simultaneously reach back through history and into the future as powerful symbols of representation and beauty.