The images that emerge at the intersection of abstraction and representation in Benzo’s work are imbued with clear references to early 20th-century art. Cézanne, Picasso, Braque, Manet and even Surrealism echo through his visual language. But what, exactly, does Benzo draw from this rich lineage? He describes the attitude of artists from that era as both intuitive and courageous. What they dismantled was not merely external form, but also immaterial values shaped by invisible emotions and consciousness. For Benzo, these aesthetic legacies are not merely historical or stylistic references; they are sensory inheritances. From the perspectives that once formed the basis of radical shifts in artistic consciousness, he finds clues for expanding the ordinary forms of contemporary life into a multiplicity of viewpoints.
Through keen observation and swift responsiveness, Benzo captures omnipresent objects and fleeting fragments that might otherwise disappear unnoticed. Within these intervals, unnamed moments of life are quietly transformed into something new. In his world, the subtle mystery of invisible presences, the contradictions and beauty of reality, coexist in a realm that resists explanation through a shared language. The everyday and the extraordinary that he embraces return as gentle visual waves, carrying living stories that reach out to others. As receptive vessels for this resonance, we are invited to step freely in any direction, imagining the space beyond the anticipated memories he once envisioned.
Jihyung Park, Seoul.
The images that emerge at the intersection of abstraction and representation in Benzo’s work are imbued with clear references to early 20th-century art. Cézanne, Picasso, Braque, Manet and even Surrealism echo through his visual language. But what, exactly, does Benzo draw from this rich lineage? He describes the attitude of artists from that era as both intuitive and courageous. What they dismantled was not merely external form, but also immaterial values shaped by invisible emotions and consciousness. For Benzo, these aesthetic legacies are not merely historical or stylistic references; they are sensory inheritances. From the perspectives that once formed the basis of radical shifts in artistic consciousness, he finds clues for expanding the ordinary forms of contemporary life into a multiplicity of viewpoints.
Through keen observation and swift responsiveness, Benzo captures omnipresent objects and fleeting fragments that might otherwise disappear unnoticed. Within these intervals, unnamed moments of life are quietly transformed into something new. In his world, the subtle mystery of invisible presences, the contradictions and beauty of reality, coexist in a realm that resists explanation through a shared language. The everyday and the extraordinary that he embraces return as gentle visual waves, carrying living stories that reach out to others. As receptive vessels for this resonance, we are invited to step freely in any direction, imagining the space beyond the anticipated memories he once envisioned.
Jihyung Park, Seoul.