María José Benvenuto
Sydney-based painter María José Benvenuto skilfully manipulates abstract formations, inviting us into a textural journey of colour and composition that portrays the Australian environment.
Words: Georgie Ward I Photography: Josefina Vargas
Gold and white by María José Benvenuto. Photo: Josefina Vargas
‘Painting is the best way for me to express my feelings, mostly those I can’t really express in words,’ says María José Benvenuto. Photo: Josefina Vargas
‘The first time I started to think of myself as a real artist was at a Picasso exhibition in Santiago de Chile. Looking at all the amazing paintings, I imagined myself exhibiting somewhere when I grow up,’ says María José Benvenuto. Photo: Josefina Vargas
Originally from Chile, María José Benvenuto paints her acrylic art from her Manly studio, with her works inspired by a changing world, she reflects her day-to-day experiences through her canvas.
From a young age, Maria has always had an artistic eye, ‘Being creative is in my soul, and my artworks totally represent this part of me’, she says.
Stemming from her love for the outdoors, her artwork is heavily inspired by mother nature. ‘When I’m really connected with nature, with my environment, I am in a state of freedom and peace, and that peace is what encourages me to paint, it’s the one that keeps me in deep connection with my paintings.’
The organic and fluid shapes she paints, while uniquely abstract and ambiguous, are inspired by many foliages, flowers, cliffs, lookouts, bush walks and ocean waves. ‘It is the imperfection of the shapes that I love, and what gives the spectator that sense of fluidity, of something that is not static but in constant movement.’
With the Australian environment being her main source of inspiration, her works utilise tones of blues, greens, yellows, magentas and white. Maria often adds pops of bright colour to more monochromatic pieces, to perfect the painting’s palette.
Blue and Orange view 1 by María José Benvenuto. Photo: Josefina Vargas
‘I like busy and non-routinely days,’ says María José Benvenuto. Pictured: Multicolour by María José Benvenuto. Photo: Josefina Vargas
“It’s a gift to work by myself. I love the idea of a little bit of me in other people’s homes and knowing that someone is enjoying the painting just as much as I do.”
‘My art is very exciting as it reflects my life, looking at my painting through the years is like looking at my very own storybook,’ says María José Benvenuto. Photo: Josefina Vargas
‘Through my art practice I can reconnect with myself, something I consider as crucial for me and my wellbeing,’ says María José Benvenuto. Photo: Josefina Vargas
‘I love many things about what I do, mainly the freedom of being creative at all times. And also that each day and painting is different - I enjoy always having something new,’ says María José Benvenuto. Photo: Josefina Vargas
Maria’s creative process is not linear, with each day very different. While nature is a huge influence on her work, so are her feelings, moods, the people she meets and the experiences of her day-to-day life.
There are days she awakes with deep feelings, excited about painting and others days when her mind and body need a relaxing walk along the coast line, doing yoga, and no painting at all.
‘Sometimes I go to the studio and know exactly what to do in terms of composition and colour, but other times I just go with the flow, move my body around the canvas and express myself intuitively - I have a deep connection with my intuition, and this is something really important in my creative process.’
As a naturally curious person, Maria finds joy in creating new things and constantly seeking new trends, techniques, colour combinations or anything that can kick-start her creative process.
Maria is interested in the idea that the image speaks for itself so that the viewer can have a connection and somehow engage in the dialogue of the painting.
She believes the idea of organic stains that overlap each other, generating transparencies versus a geometric shape or a miniature figure, creates curiosity. The painting’s formal elements, in contrast to the other, develop a certain tension that activates the viewer’s eye. And it is there, that the artwork extends a conversation between itself and the immediate world of the viewer.
Maria is currently busy working on a new series of work for Sydney Contemporary art fair, taking place in early September. Keep an eye out!
