Artist Bio

Leonardo Benzant is an artist who bridges the spiritual and the material realities of the African diaspora. In his multidisciplinary practice he is most known for his expressive painting and his elaborate beaded sculptures. Born and raised in Brooklyn he is Dominican-American with Haitian heritage.  His practice is informed by his studies and initiations of Kongo and Yoruba origin. He deploys a wide variety of media and found objects to create work that connect African and Caribbean religion, art, history, culture, rituals and modern and contemporary art.

He attended Pratt Institute in NY. Benzant was awarded the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant for Painters and Sculptors and the Galveston Artist Residency in Texas. He was a finalist for The Burke Prize at the Museum of Arts and Design in NY. His work has been exhibited at the Taubman Museum (VA ), Museum of the African Diaspora (SF), Philbrook Museum of Art (OK) and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. His work is included in several important private and public collections including the Weisman Museum (MN), Minneapolis Institute of Art (MN), The Bunker Artspace (FL), the Harvey B. Gantt Center (NC), The Wedge Collection (Canada), the Peggy Cooper Cafritz collection (DC) and the US Embassy (Chad). He has participated in Untitled, Expo Chicago. Volta and Pulse  Contemporary art fairs. He recently completed his first solo exhibition at Claire Oliver gallery entitled  Across Seven Ruins & Redemptions_Somo Kamarioka.