Common Place finds significance in the ordinary.
Artist Jonathan Benson has unveiled Common Place, a debut collection of paintings commissioned by Surinder Arora for Fairmont Windsor Park, bringing scenes of everyday life in India into the luxury hotel’s grand library.
Presented in a nod to Diwali, the collection comprises seven acrylic paintings on linen, drawing inspiration from photographs Benson captured on his camera phone during a trip to India.
Through depictions of people, public spaces and fleeting encounters, the works explore the everyday gestures and relationships that connect people, regardless of where they call home.
Common Place finds significance in the ordinary.
A passer-by walking past a seated musician, women gathering in a sunlit courtyard and a uniformed figure standing beneath the leaves of a palm are among the scenes brought to life through Benson’s paintings.
His work combines closely observed figures with broad passages of colour and expressive brushwork, using chalky whites, burnt-orange walls and soft pinks and greens to capture the atmosphere of each setting.
Architecture, shadows and surrounding vegetation provide a backdrop for the subjects, giving otherwise fleeting moments the composition and stillness of formal portraits.
Small details also play an important role in the collection.
In one painting, the passer-by occupies much of the foreground while the seated musician remains in the background, his bow poised against his instrument.
The apparent lack of interaction between the two captures a familiar experience of public life, where people briefly share the same space without necessarily acknowledging one another.
Elsewhere, a gathering of women becomes a study of individual expressions and shared space, with each figure retaining her own character within the group. Although some of the surroundings may be unfamiliar to viewers, the behaviour and interactions depicted are widely recognisable.
The paintings vary in scale, with the smallest measuring one metre by one metre.
Each work has taken Benson approximately a month to complete, transforming photographs captured in an instant into detailed compositions that encourage viewers to spend time looking beyond the initial scene.
The exhibition and auction will be at Fairmont Windsor Park on November 26 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm.
Born in Birkenhead and raised in Wallasey, Jonathan Benson grew up in a working-class household where financial resources were limited but creativity was encouraged.
His father was a trained Foundry Patternmaker, and art and music played an important part in family life. Despite this creative upbringing, pursuing a career as an artist initially seemed uncertain, leading Benson to study architecture.
A year spent studying in China exposed him to different cultures and artistic traditions, prompting him to reconsider his direction.
After leaving architecture and working a succession of jobs, he eventually secured a place to study fine art at the University of Chester.
Following his studies, Benson took part in group exhibitions and smaller commissions, while establishing studios across Merseyside and working as an art gallery manager.
His involvement with street artists and large-scale mural projects further broadened his experience and understanding of the art world.
After relocating to London, he continued working in galleries, including in Greenwich, before moving on to Quantus and Grove. These roles gave him valuable insight into collectors and the commercial side of the art industry, while allowing him to continue developing his own painting style.
It was while helping a gallery owner with an installation that Benson’s own artistic ability attracted attention, marking another step towards the recognition of his work.
