Katherine Benson
Degree: MA Fine Art
University: University of Edinburgh
Graduation Year: 2021
New Blood Art Commentary
Katherine Benson's artwork explores the intimate world of women in domestic settings, creating a unique visual language that blends reality with dreamlike elements. Her small-scale oil paintings capture fleeting moments of everyday life, imbuing them with a sense of emotional depth and narrative allure.
Benson's artistic style is characterised by bold brushwork and a generous application of oil pigment, reminiscent of Impressionist masters like Monet and Bonnard. This technique allows her to create forms that seem to hover between solidity and ethereality, perfectly capturing the liminal nature of her subjects.
The artist's focus on female figures in interior spaces serves as a celebration of women's experiences and relationships. By depicting these scenes with an empathetic gaze, Benson creates a safe space for her subjects, free from external judgement. Her work can be seen as a love letter to women, drawing inspiration from personal relationships and admired female artists.
Benson's paintings often feature playful elements, such as the inclusion of cats, which add a touch of whimsy and domesticity to her scenes. This combination of intimacy, emotion, and subtle humour invites viewers to explore the complex inner worlds of her subjects, blurring the lines between the conscious and subconscious realms.
Artist Statement
My practice focuses on the representation of the female form and the relationship between women and the domestic sphere. My small-scale compositions offer a glimpse into everyday moments of domestic life and aims to highlight the emotionality of daily simple tasks. Within these settings, I provide a safe space for my female figures, in which they can exist without a hypercritical gaze. In this way, my work can be read overall as a love letter to women – the women I have grown up with, the women artists I have admired, and the female relationships that have been so important to me.
Group Exhibitions
(2024) New Gallery Opening Show, ArtPistol, Glasgow
(2023) StART Art Fair, New Blood Art, Saatchi Gallery, London
(2023) Bright Young Things, BirdsNest Gallery, Edinburgh
(2023) Summer Exhibition, Long & Ryle, London
(2022) Art on a Postcard Winter Auction, Art on a Postcard, London
(2022) Aberdeen Art Fair, BirdsNest Gallery, Aberdeen
(2022) Dacorum Creatives, Dacorum Creatives Art Hub, Hertfordshire
(2021) Best of Scottish Art Schools Grad Show, Art Pistol, Glasgow
(2021) Graduate Show, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh