"Merlin" Painting

Benjamin Stephenson is an award-winning British artist whose multidisciplinary practice investigates the intersection of material memory, archaeology, and the ecological cycle. A graduate of Wimbledon College of Art (UAL) with First Class Honors, Stephenson furthered his technical and theoretical research through a scholarship at the Royal Drawing School and specialised studies at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. His work is characterized by a deep engagement with the physical earth. Stephenson utilizes a sophisticated palette of hand-processed natural pigments, rammed earth, and resins to create "geological vignettes" that explore animism and the human relationship with the landscape. This rigorous material process transforms each work into a contemporary relic, bridging the gap between Mesoamerican archaeological influence and European painterly tradition. Major Recognition & Institutional Presence; In 2025, Stephenson was awarded the Liverpool Sculpture Prize and the Henki Art Prize, following his first-prize recognition by the Mexican Embassy in London. His work has been exhibited at prestigious international platforms including SALON ACME (Mexico City), FAIN Feria, and NN Galeria, with solo institutional exhibitions such as Umbral and Picadura De Escarcha, as well as a major museum exhibition at Museo de la Ciudad de Queretaro. His paintings and sculptures are held in notable private and institutional collections worldwide, including the Sotheby’s Institute of Art and the University of the Arts London (UAL).