Bennie Guzman

A vibrant and chaotic graffiti-style painting featuring a stylized figure in the center, outlined in green and blue, wearing a red and blue outfit and a yellow helmet. The background is filled with bold, overlapping graffiti tags and words like 'Privilege' prominently painted in large, colorful letters along the top. Additional words and symbols, such as a crown, are scattered throughout, adding to the dynamic and layered texture of the artwork. The color palette includes vivid reds, blues, yellows, and pinks, creating a sense of energy and movement. This piece combines elements of street art with abstract and figurative components.

Photo courtesy of Bennie Guzman

A colorful abstract artwork featuring a dynamic blend of colors and textures. At the center, vibrant hues of red, orange, green, and yellow swirl together, creating a sense of movement. Positioned on top are realistic elements like a red rose and green leaves, contributing a three-dimensional aspect to the piece. Surrounding the central motif is a black grid pattern with rectangular shapes, giving the artwork a structured overlay. The background consists of an array of colors, adding depth and complexity to the composition.

Photo courtesy of Bennie Guzman

A creative collage composed of six panels, each featuring a unique blend of literary elements and artistic illustrations. Backgrounds of each panel consist of pages from a book, likely a dictionary or encyclopedia, with the text forming a textured canvas. Superimposed on each panel are colorful elements: sketches of nature, abstract shapes, and historical or literary figures. Each panel showcases a different colorful square or rectangular block, likely highlighting a quote or thematic text. The imagery includes a poet's portrait, an egg-shaped object containing a tree scene, birds, and a human figure, providing a mix of natural and cultural symbolism. The overall color palette is diverse, incorporating muted earth tones with brighter accents.

Photo courtesy of Bennie Guzman

Bennie Guzman Jr. is a visual artist, poet, and dancer born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. He began his formal education in the visual arts at Colgate University where he concentrated in Studio Arts and received a Bachelor of Arts in Art & Art History. Since then, he has developed an artistic style that takes inspiration from Latinx and Hispanic cultures, hip-hop, feminism, street art, and social justice. He now resides in Syracuse, NY and works as the Programming Coordinator for La Casita Cultural Center. He is currently enrolled in the Master of Science in Creative Arts Therapy program at Syracuse University and has completed internships at SUNY Upstate in Syracuse and River Hospital in Alexandria Bay. He plans to use his studies to incorporate the therapeutic properties of art-making in his work with community and explore themes of mental health in his personal artistic practice.

COLLABORATING WITH

Pan African Community of Central New York

Disciplines

Interdisciplinary Arts

Social Practice

Visual Arts

Location

Syracuse, NY