DAVID Z ORBAN

Painter of toys, tools, color and clutter

Contemporary still life painter David Z Orban is an award-winning New Jersey-based artist creating colorful still-life paintings that merge painterly realism with abstraction. Drawing from both representational and abstract traditions, his work highlights the overlooked beauty of utilitarian objects such as tools, toys, and balloons, inviting reflection on the everyday in a culture shaped by technology and high-gloss consumerism. Come on inside and see what he’s been up to!

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David Z Orban is pleased to announce that he is the recipient of a 2026 Individual Artist Fellowship grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

About me

Based in central New Jersey, I’ve spent the last several years creating colorful still-life paintings that merge painterly realism with abstraction. Drawing from both representational and abstract traditions, my work highlights the overlooked beauty of utilitarian objects such as antique toys, hand tools, balloons and ephemera. In a world shaped by rapidly-changing technology and high-gloss consumerism, my paintings invite reflection on the commonplace objects that quietly inform our daily lives. The inclusion of antique tools and toys encourage reflection on the continuous passage of time, and thoughtful contemplation of our own place in this world.

SOME RECENT PAINTINGS

The Work Party: Yellow Biplane with Guitar and Blue Balloon

The Work Party: Green Truck with Balls and Blue Balloon

The Work Party: Arcade with Race Car and Pipe Wrench

The Work Party: Yellow Biplane and Blue Truck in Green

VIEW AVAILABLE WORK

A video introduction to my paintings

“In a world shaped by rapidly-changing technology and high-gloss consumerism, my paintings invite reflection on the commonplace objects that quietly inform our daily lives.”

“I try to find a balance between achieving a ‘realistic’ rendering and allowing the physicality of the paint – and the ‘process’ of painting – to remain visible. There’s no implied narrative in these paintings, allowing the viewer to engage with the work on their own terms.”

Orban’s studio is a place of serious action, complete with studio floodlights, ladders, and other props in evidence. But it’s also a place where the joy of creativity is lauded, and thus home to colorful toys, hand tools and dramatic lighting.

“My choice of antique toys and hand tools helps connect me to a continuum that existed long before my time and will continue long after I am gone.”

“The deeper I got into this approach, the more I began to contemplate the unique histories of the individual objects I had been collecting. I began to view them not just as compositional tools, but also pondered the life they had had before coming into my possession.”

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Questions? Email me at [email protected].