Gabe Benzur, a Brooklyn-based artist, creates surreal oil paintings that transport viewers to otherworldly landscapes filled with green clouds and unusual shrubs. His work blurs the line between reality and imagination, with a focus on vibrant colors that capture the eye. Benzur first designs his scenes digitally before transferring them to drawings and ultimately onto canvases.
In his paintings, Benzur depicts a range of elements such as billowing clouds, mountains, and calderas, each with its own unique color palette. Some pieces like “Uni” and “Menrva” evoke a sense of transcendence reminiscent of artist Agnes Pelton, while others like “Orcus” and “Mania” take on a more whimsical, almost cartoonish quality with their melting and sticky formations that challenge our perception of the world.
Drawing inspiration from his travels, readings, cartoons, mythology, memories, and anatomy, Benzur’s work is a blend of various influences that come together to create a world that exists solely in his imagination. He describes his creative process as an attempt to capture the images in his mind in order to bring to life a world where he wants to exist.
Currently, a selection of Benzur’s paintings can be viewed at the Hashimoto Contemporary in New York City as part of the exhibition “The Invisible Dog Goes for a Walk,” running until February 7. To see more of Benzur’s work, you can visit his Instagram page.
From ethereal landscapes to surreal caverns, Gabe Benzur’s paintings offer a glimpse into a fantastical world where reality and imagination collide. His use of color and form creates a visual experience that is both captivating and thought-provoking, inviting viewers to explore the depths of his unique artistic vision.
