Ruben Benjamin (b. 1994) develops a practice at the intersection of painting and sculpture, where light, materiality, and perception enter into complex dialogues. His works emerge from the layering and compression of pigments, whose spatial depth and luminosity dissolve the boundary between surface and object.

Drawing from natural phenomena - from geological formations to atmospheric events - and the visual codes of a digitized present, Benjamin investigates how perception is transformed by technological image culture. The highly saturated, often bold colors not only reference organic processes and topological patterns, but also echo the sensory oversaturation of our digital age.

Conceived as “sculptures for walls,” the works embody frozen dynamics: gestural surfaces shaped through compressed air, stone powder, large brooms, and his bare hands: "Working between painting and sculpture, I create luminous surfaces that stage a dialogue between material, light, and perception. My works often begin as industrial substrates - aluminium sheets, 3D-printed forms, marble dust - which I transform through layered pigments, sprayed colour fields, and carefully choreographed reflections. This constant sense of discovery is what captivates me - it’s a process that never ceases to surprise me."

Benjamin’s work is part of collections in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Stockholm, London, and Seoul. His portfolio also includes significant commissions, such as an installation for the Vacheron Constantin art collection. Working from his Munich studio, Benjamin continues to push the boundaries of light, color, and form, offering fresh perspectives on the possibilities of contemporary art.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:

2022
  • Solo Show ”FROZEN IN TIME”
  • "Full House Art" Charity exhibition | Board Member Villa Stuck Museum: Peter J.C. Hansen, Mon Muellerschoen, Kateryna Vozianova | Munich
  • "Between Realms" | Curated by Jessica Wan | Group Exhibition with: Beeple, Damien Hirst (and further)
2023
  • The Untitled Void "Do That Thing" | Group Exhibition | Seoul
  • Solo Show “NO TIME TO EXPLAIN” | AAAHH Penthouse
  • Max33 | Group exhibition | at the interim accommodation of the Museum Villa Stuck, Munich

2024
  • Holistic Artwork Installation "From Past to Present" for the Vacheron Constantin art collection | Munich & Geneva
  • Max33 "Almost Coming Home" | Curated by Bettina Beckert (Sotheby’s), Founder: Peter J. C. Hansen, Patroness: Susanne Hermanski | Group exhibition with: Gregor Hildebrandt, Lars Eidinger, Hannes Heinrich (and further) | Residenzstr., Munich


2025

  • Solo Show "TRY TO ACT NORMAL", Munich
  • The Thing In Itself, Group Exhibition, Gallery Sonder, Los Angeles, USA
    (with Josh Sperling Jae Ford, Noosha Golab, Gary Lang, Sheng Lor, Susan Maddux, Pilar Wiley)
  • Group Exhibition, Curated by Bettina Beckert (Sotheby’s), Founded by Peter J.C. Hansen and Korbinian Kohler, Under the patronage of Michael Buhrs (Director, Villa Stuck Museum), Tegernsee

PRESS:

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST

"You simply want to touch the overlapping color compositions and relief-like surfaces by Ruben Benjamin. The artist's small and large-format paintings can be seen internationally, from Miami to Seoul.“

THEMAGAZINE GERMANY X THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Benjamin, who began his career with a passion for drawing and spray paint, has developed into an artist whose works transcend boundaries in both painting and sculpture."

GQ

„Ruben Benjamin has now fully arrived in this (art) world and inspires people with his sculptures.“