Martin L. Benson is an artist interested in spiritual maps, the unconscious, and how art can be a gateway to something beautifully subtle about the human experience. A large part of his process weaves together his meditation practice and his painting and drawing practice. He also creates sculptures and site specific installations that evoke meditative experiences through sound, light, and space. If he had to sum up his art simply, he would say that his work is about alchemy, about making something authentic and sacred through the creative act. It is about making his deepest intentions tangible and visible. He creates work that he wants to see himself, it seems to be a reflection of his inner life.
In his outer life Benson live in New Orleans with his wife, son, and dog. He is currently the Visual Arts Chair at Isidore Newman School and teaches art classes in the High School. His work has been exhibited at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, The Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans, and The New Orleans Museum of Art. In 2017, he completed a site specific installation at the Aloft Hotel in Downtown New Orleans and was commissioned by the New Orleans Arts Council to create a site-specific installation for the LUNA FĂȘte Art Festival in 2016. HIs work is held in numerous private and public collections across the country.