Chris
Benjamin:
Inspired by nature
Chris Benjamin is inspired by nature, and the titles of her paintings
'Over the Hills', 'Radiant Moon', 'Golden Tree', 'Serene', 'The Far
Side' and 'Beyond' reveal her thematic concerns with nature. She
experiments with different styles, techniques and mediums, and describes
her style as contemporary, unconventional and innovative. This is
reflected in her art, which is both a fusion of techniques and a style
that is quintessentially Chris.
She says she paints the background and then the canvas starts
speaking to her. The end result is open to multiple interpretations
Chris, who is influenced by Modernist painters, but prefers to follow
the middle path rather than resorting to extreme methods of Modernism,
does a lot of texturing with acrylics and completes her paintings with
oils. For example, she uses pieces of regiform, paper, credit cards,
toffee paper, tissue and sand to create the texturing on acrylic because
it is a medium that dries fast. She also uses combs and forks to draw
lines and likes to paint in vibrant colours, juxtaposing the near and
the far.
When
asked what art means to her, Chris says it is a gateway or a window to
express herself and that it gives her the freedom to be creative. It is
also a mode of drawing attention to current problems such as global
climate change. "It can be employed to send a strong message out to the
world," she says.
Chris had her first combined exhibition in 2011 and her first solo
exhibition in 2014. She recently showcased her paintings at the Young
Contemporaries Art Exhibition organized by the George Keyt Foundation.
A versatile artist, Chris is also interested in Fashion Designing and
Photography and has travelled extensively across Europe, North America
and Asia. She says her experiences with different people and cultures
are embedded in her subconscious mind and that it influences her
paintings.
Chris, who has an undergraduate degree in Human Resources,
postgraduate degree in Business Administration and an Advanced Diploma
in Fashion Technology, had her primary and secondary education at
Ferguson High School, Ratnapura. She is a member of the Rotary Club and
the Zonta Club, enjoys reading and was touched by the book Still Alice
by Lisa Genova, which is regarding a lady professor in her early 50s
with Alzheimer's disease.
Chris also likes playing golf, playing the organ and listening to
modern pop, blues and jazz. Her official website is
chrisbenjaminartist.com
Chris's message to other artists is "be out of the ordinary, think
out of the box and don't be afraid to express yourself, experiment and
build up your style."
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