Romina Batino, a Communication Arts graduate, first worked in her family’s legal practice in the mid-1990s. To express a long-held creative spark, she founded 10 Twelve Ventures in 2019, offering weekend workshops to build a community of lifelong creative learners while continuing her managerial work.
However, the pandemic changed everything. Romina and her husband moved to the U.S., and 10 Twelve was put on hold. As businesses began reopening, she volunteered at an art gallery in Ohio, immersing herself in a community of passionate creatives, which further fueled her creativity.
The pandemic had shown her how quickly life can change, prompting her to pursue a path she had previously dismissed as frivolous. From organizing behind the scenes to helping others express their creativity, Romina stepped into the spotlight as a full-fledged artist just two months before turning 50.
By then, Romina had already chosen an unusual subject for her art: the surface of a windshield covered in watery soap suds, reflecting the lights inside a carwash. Frequent trips to the carwash allowed her to find beauty in these ordinary sights, transforming them into vibrant photographs that resemble paintings. She playfully called the technique behind these captures Roamistry.
In November 2021, Romina submitted her photographs to a gallery in Ohio, which unexpectedly accepted all of her pieces. Encouraged, she continued participating in juried and non-juried shows. Her art gained significant recognition when Boomer Gallery in London invited her to become a resident artist, displaying her Roamistry works for a full year.
Romina continues to exhibit her art not only in the U.S. and the U.K. but also locally. Her twenty-second and most recent exhibit, PlayGround, was a two-woman show with international sculptor and artist Ovvian Castrillo at UniqueBisyo Pasig in April 2024. In 2023, one of her photos appeared in a collage of artworks on an NYC billboard, and more were featured in a book of poems titled Let It Be Real. This January, the same Ohio gallery where she volunteered featured her as its Artist of the Month.
Esteemed British art critic Anthony Fawcett praised the deeply poetic nature of her photographs, highlighting her ability to “transform the most humble of subject matter” into vibrant, multicolored works. Fawcett emphasized that Romina’s work reflects a spirit of restless inquiry, underscoring the bright future she holds as an artist.
Her ability to find magic in the mundane mirrors her creative spirit, which began to bloom during her office career and was nurtured during a time of uncertainty. Romina’s art is proof that it’s never too late to pursue one’s passions, with each piece revealing that captivating beauty can be found in the most unexpected places.
For more information about Romina’s art, visit https://roamingromina.art.
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