Heather Benjamin's inaugural solo exhibition, New Strangeness Bloom, features her distinctive paintings that delve into the vulnerabilities of existing in a female body. Rooted in her background in printmaking and zinemaking, Benjamin’s self-portraits blend surrealism with personal narrative. Employing a vibrant palette and complex symbolism, her figures symbolize spiritual growth and resilience against stark psychological landscapes. Drawing inspiration from Diane di Prima’s Loba, the exhibition invites viewers to engage with the intertwined elements of femininity, growth, and self-discovery amidst fantastical settings.
Through a diaristic lens, Benjamin's figures-part goddess, part flawed protagonist-manifest spiritual transformation. These figures navigate imagined desert landscapes, alive with unnameable flora shimmering under electric skies.
In New Strangeness Bloom, Benjamin explores sexuality, gender, trauma, and self-perception through intricate, labyrinthine mark-making, maximalist palettes, and a developed personal symbology.
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