Katherine Benson
Degree: MA Fine Art
University: University of Edinburgh
Graduation Year: 2021
New Blood Art Commentary
Notable Achievements 2023
When the dream meets its surroundings and emerges into consciousness: this wavering between mystique and the quotidian is where Katherine Benson locates her intimate, interior scenes. Here the female form is represented with an empathetic gaze in an opulent, somewhat mischievous tone and narrative allusion is heightened by the artist working as if quickly to capture the sitter. Salvaging the freedom that Benson's figures expand into at home could not be more pertinent these days; bold brushwork evokes forms hanging truthfully between weight and ephemerality. In these small-scale paintings, the generous, palatial use of oil pigment - akin to Monet and Bonnard - invites us to explore an emotional encounter.
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
(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