Now based in Lisbon, after several years living between Himalayas, Barcelona and Paris, Gonzalo Bénard is a mix-media artist and author who have been producing a body of work about matters of life and death. About consciousness, rituals and rites from the several cultures. Celebrations of life with matters of death. About mind’s inner world(s).
Photography has been the main way of expressing his existence in the last few years, mainly after his 3 days of brain death experience: what surrounds him, or what he feels about society. With deep roots in shamanism and old pagan religions, he breaks the main rules of the modern society, reminding it about the origins of life. Gonzalo Bénard writes and photographs as a need of expression. Bringing and blending his studies in the Western Europe, with Himalayas or Western Sahara where he lived and learned with spiritual, philosophic and shamanic masters.
Most of his actual works are result of states of trance during his shamanic rituals or transcendental meditations, healings, etc. Working with models has been also a blend of art-performance and shamanic rituals, which he started doing recently as public art-performances at his exhibitions.
Contact:
www.gbenard.com
Instagram: @gwbenard
