Benjamin Mitchley

Fine Artist, Animator, and Illustrator in Centurion, South Africa

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I was born on 1 January 1967 in the Free State, South Africa. I matriculated from Welkom High School in 1984. I studied fine arts from 1985 to 1987 at the Vaal University of Technology and Tshwane University of Technology. I'm a full-time freelance fine artist, scenic artist, illustrator and 2D digital animator. I do commissions and collaboration in oil and acrylic painting, scenic painting, illustration, and 2D digital animation. In my figurative paintings I try to capture the moment to the best of my ability, whether it be a thought, emotion or atmospheric feeling. These scenes of everyday life are taken from photographs I have captured in my surroundings. This moment I leave to the viewer to interpret. As each interpretation might be different, I believe each to be true. Since 2003 I have exhibited my work in South Africa, and in the same year received my first international exposure with the help of SouthAfricanArtists.com online gallery. I exhibited work in Munich and Hof, in Germany (2005 - 2006). Since then I gained support from several buyers in the UAE, Europe, America and South Africa. I furthered my scenic experience while working in Dubai on the IBN Battuta shopping mall (2004 and 2006), a sculpture project for the Dubai Municipality horse museum (2007) and mural work at the Dubai IMG Worlds of Adventure indoor theme park (2016). In Johannesburg I worked on a scenic project for Monte Casino's East-End Teatro (2007) and created backdrops for television adverts at Golden Island Studios (2013). Since 2010, as a self taught animator, BenjAnim received contract work to create a short film for a SABC documentary and animation collaboration projects for corporation info-graphic material. In 2013 I received a first place award for a medical animation competition for the Iheed institute. Poetry and writing developed from my fine art, illustration and animation creations. My search for new ideas, experimentation with new techniques, styles and media is ongoing.

  • Work
    • Artist-Illustrator-Animator