Benji Reid
Benji Reid is a prolific artist with a multiverse pallet of creativity. Benji began his life-long journey through the arts as a dancer in the early 80s as a Popper in Broken Glass Street Crew. He became professionally trained earning a diploma in contemporary dance, choreography, and lighting design at Northern School of Contemporary Dance in the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, those achievements were not enough for Benji’s satisfaction. He took an additional decade to learn mime, mask, and puppetry and that commitment to performance crafts granted him the opportunity to perform in a number of arenas from England to New York, and even Australia. 

As many creators, the desire to expand lead him into photography where he feels himself to be “still in development”. In recent times, he has begun to cultivate his eye in the photography medium. His ambitions to become an international collaborator is driving his need for self-improvement. Benji has a vision of breaking the mold by developing a creative independence that allows him the  opportunity to work with dynamic artists to create uniquely crafted stories to spread across the globe.

​ In Benji’s creative conscious he finds himself compelled by the need to express the Black British experience, specifically black males, in regard to identity and mental illness. Benji explains, “Here in England, black artists work as cultural Aliens remaining, for the most part, underfunded, undervalued, and invisible. Photography needs no passport and has the potential to circumvent cultural gatekeepers; an image can sit simultaneously on thousands of screens across the world. We have the possibility to be the agents of change one click at a time.” With that perspective, Benji can be a catalyst in forging the necessary visibility of the black man.
Benji has opened his own home studio which has allotted him a great amount of growth. The studio has given him a bit of creative freedom, a surge of productivity, creative autonomy which has bridged the gap between him and his audience. Benji’s process is now sped up and he is able to create his works in real time and gets the chance to respond to international events with his creative expression within the time frame of their relevance to the world.

​Now with his work residing on a number of social media platforms he can track the growth of his audience, and he notices a daily growth spurt with rising numbers of supporters. For Benji when compared to his theater years he loves the turnaround time of his work, whereas theater productions could take years to develop into fruition from the conceptualization phase now his delivery time can be a matter of hours with photography created in his studio.

One of the most alluring ideologies Benji holds is his perspective of his conviction of inspiration from Africa and the African diaspora. Benji breaks down his inspiration by saying. “We are of the African Diaspora. In the UK I will always be the other no matter what; I have to embrace my African heritage this is who I am an African living aboard.

​When I visit Johannesburg its one of the few places I feel instantly at home. You have to think about the great theater that arose out of the apartheid era to get one’s Sprit lifted. Tracey Rose, Abe Odedina, Ibrahim El Salahi the list is endless. Africa is so culturally rich in Music, Dance, Theatre and literature. I defy any artist who says their work as not at some point not been inspired by this culturally dynamic continent.”
With such a respectable conviction for African heritage, it is easy to understand how Benji Reid infuses his entire being into his work. This is not only on the topic of African roots but also the heavier sides of black struggles. He feels it necessary to be a bell-ringer on issues that a far too often taboo in the Black community. Mental illness and substance abuse are often only understood based on mass media depictions of it within the black community, but as a personal experiencer of them, Benji is sure to tackle the stigma of them with his work. He is more concerned with social, moral, and culturally responsibility than chasing collaborations with top level brands. He works the motto, great work with great people will have great results. 
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Despite the growing influence of technology, Benji finds the new systems to be a potential enhancement to the creative-sphere. He feels good work will always find its market if the artist believes in themselves. That is not speaking to the financial status of the artist, but more so the recognition. People take notice of great work. With a dream of traveling the world giving life to the perspectives that are unseen, Benji wants to be at the front of a shift in artwork all over the world. He has a keen interest in documenting South Africa, Nigeria, and Morocco.
He advises emerging artist to trust their artistic radar and to understand success is found in each continued step of life’s journey. His own understanding of being accomplished is sure to offer great elevation to other artists. This is how expresses being accomplished, “What I now understand through working in many art forms is Feeling accomplished really means nothing to me the creative process is forward looking it’s not about resting on what you know or the feeling one has arrived. It’s far more interesting exploring the word of unknowns. Two things  are fundamental to me as an artist I am obsessive and curious these two traits that are deadly important to me, I need something to be curious about (the story/subject) so I can focus my naturally obsessive mind. (The detail)
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How I will be defined is not up to me. I am the protagonist in my own life story but not the storyteller.”
Visit Website / Contact Artist

Website : benjireid.com
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