About

Based in the UK for the past 25 years, Pierre Benjamin is a traditional figurative painter, born and raised in the south of France in the 1980s within a creative environment surrounded by painters and photographers. This artistic upbringing naturally led him to pursue a career in the arts. As a professional 3D artist and university lecturer specializing in Game Art, he balances his passion for digital art with a deep appreciation for traditional mediums.

His current work pays tribute to the golden era of jazz and the cinematic charm of the 1950s. Through his paintings, he strives to capture the timeless elegance of this period, blending classic and contemporary styles. By exploring the connection between music and nostalgia, he seeks to evoke the spirit of classic Americana, celebrating its rich cultural legacy through his art.

Additionally as working as an artist, and teaching online he lectures in Academia at the University of South Wales, in Cardiff, Wales, U.K.

About the journey that took him where he is today:

Pierre began drawing daily at the age of 10, influenced by his upbringing. His father, a photographer, nurtured his artistic inclinations, while his late grandfather, Gérard Calvet, had an even greater impact. Gérard enjoyed a highly successful international career as a figurative painter, spanning several decades from the 1960s to the late 2010s, with his work gaining recognition both in France and the United States.

At the age of 15, Pierre transitioned to sculpting and stone carving under the guidance of renowned sculptor Serge Destarac, who specialized in marble and wood. In 1999, he furthered his education at the prestigious school of the Louvre Museum in Paris, where he studied Greek, Egyptian, Roman, and Assyrian antiquities—an invaluable opportunity that greatly expanded his artistic knowledge.

Pierre moved to the UK in the year 2000, after relocating from Paris where he studied History of Art in the prestigious Musee du Louvre.

While in Cardiff, Pierre then completed a Bachelor of Arts and Master Degree in games and animation in the University of South Wales, in the U.K.

His source of inspiration was always very diverse. From the classic Greek and Egyptian antiquities to the Renaissance and beyond. His own style is influenced by classic artists such as Van Gogh, Norman Rockwell, Seurat, Leyendecker, Toulouse Lautrec, Munch, Monet, Bernard Buffet and Georges Oudot.

A podcast interview is available on Spotify and Apple Podcast

see links below to listen to it:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/00CIl01ZTgw8CsFy0m4dVf?si=Hlg1neDfSja9xb9hWEO-jw

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/artist-interview-pierre-benjamin/id1485813093?i=1000697224439

Social Media links:

https://www.instagram.com/pierre_benjamin

https://www.tiktok.com/@artofpierrebenjamin

https://www.canvasgallery.com/artists/200-pierre-benjamin/works/