Benon Lataaya
Experimentation on Self, 2017
Statement:
While concepts of social adversity, identity, and other vagaries of life are explored, the notion of yearning translates resoundingly into hope, so true of his current outlook on life.
Drawing on his autobiographical life experiences as inspiration, his work reflects our day to day experiences and culture as he pursues and deepens his fascination with technique.
Dream in Tatters, 2017
The waste paper material in his work communicates the vulnerability of human life. And through his collage techniques, he aims to comment on and raise many fundamental questions about the complexity of human conditions today.
His work offers some approach of his own personal space and identity in the world and how the latter has been formed, shaped and manipulated, sometimes torn, sometimes glued as intensely chiseled by his creative process. His technique reveals layers of constant manipulation, exploration and approximations in the application of the medium he opts to use to construct his forms. These layers are purposefully interspersed with elements of intervention and disturbance which acts as a blur to fixed ideas and questions the way identity gets constructed.
Man of Good Hope, 2017
Combining both abstract and realistic elements, benon manipulates his medium to allow for infinite searching, reconfiguration, and rediscovery – releasing energy which imbues his work with rawness and simplicity. He’s competent working with either acrylics, collage, or mixed media.
He admits to first muddle through a whole lot of disheartening dead ends and near misses prior to submit his offering.
about benon
Born in Uganda, Benon Lutaaya is a Johannesburg-based visual artist. He holds a BFA with Education from Kyambogo University, Kampala. Although known for his contemporary paper collage portraiture work, he’s equally adept dealing with other subjects and mediums. Unable to afford proper art supplies when he started out professionally in 2010, Benon improvised with recycled, found paper material gathered from streets to pursue his purpose as an artist.
Selexploration, 2017
2011 – Moves to South Africa courtesy of an international artist residency award by the Bag Factory Artists’ Studios, Johannesburg. Within 6 years of full time professional practice, Benon’s career is making waves punctuated with sale-out shows, artistic recognition, and a clients waiting list spanning for years.
He was awarded the CITIZEN INFLUENCER BRAND award at the SA Brand Summit -2018. Selected expert Mentor for Barclays Africa L’atelier Art competition’s top 10 finalists -2016. He is a recipient of the 2015 “Face of African Youth Foundation – an African Youth Ambassadorial award” at the ADLER Entrepreneurship Awards in Frankfurt -Germany as well as the 2015 Arts and Culture Trust Young Impact Award in the visual arts category. Benon serves on a number of selection committees as a judge for the visual arts competitions. He was named among The Bright Young Things in South African visual arts by Art Africa magazine. And ranked number one on the 2015 list of top 4 artists under 40 whose work to invest in – Art Times magazine.
Hold On, 2017.
He has donated in excess of R1,000,000.00 (0ver US$70,000.00) to different South African children’s charity and arts causes in the last 5 years. Alongside Strauss & Co auctioneers and Artist William Kentridge, Benon Co-sponsored the prestigious -‘2015 Reinhold Cassirer Award’ that supports talented young South African visual artists.
He is the Founder, and Executive Chairman of THE PROJECT SPACE a cultural institution centered on creating spaces, increasing opportunities and access to networks in a bid to encourage and empower more female African artists to engage in full time activity as artists.