Ben Ark

Ben Ark is a modern landscape artist living in Salford, in the North West of England. Ben's interest in art formed in the era when digital photography and darkroom technologies collided. These early experiences still have an impact in his arts practice today. His mixed media creations merge traditional painting techniques with contemporary practices such as digital painting. His works are created using acrylic paint, watercolour, ink, digital mixed media collage (merging hand painted areas and elements of digital photographs), pigment prints, gels, pastes, resins and varnishes on wooden art panels. Ben Ark’s work has a unique style created through many years of experimentation.

The genre of landscape art allows real freedom for Ben. The variety of subjects he is able to work with keeps him excited for new projects and the passion for his work is evident in each piece he creates. Ben strives to capture the beauty in everyday scenarios, which can often be overlooked. Roadscapes have become particularly important for Ben, using them to document his movements between different times, locations and situations.

Ben has exhibited his work around the UK and internationally. His roadscapes featured in the “Days Like These” exhibition at the Lowry Art Gallery in Salford, sitting alongside the work of other Salford artists including L.S. Lowry. Another of his roadscapes featured in The Wales Contemporary, held in Pembrokeshire during 2020.

Ben's work has featured in many national exhibitions, including as part of the New Light Art Prize which celebrates the best in contemporary northern art. The exhibition toured the country during 2020 and 2021. Ben was proud to have been successfully shortlisted from over 2,000 applicants on his first application. His artworks were well received by exhibition attendees, who voted for him to win the peoples choice award.

The year 2022 was particularly successful for Ben Ark. He was awarded First Prize at The Open [3] exhibition held at Salford Museum and Art Gallery in September 2022. It was a real honour for Ben to win this prestigious award in his home city. In November 2022, two of Ben's works were chosen for display as part of the ING Discerning Eye exhibition. His works were selected from a record breaking number of applications close to 7,500 entries. In addition to exhibiting at the prestigious Mall Galleries in London as part of the exhibition, Ben was delighted to be awarded the esteemed Cityscape Prize for his artworks.

In July 2023 Ben held his first solo exhibition focusing on industrial scenes of Liverpool and Manchester, which was a real success. He was also selected to display at Liverpool art fair in Summer 2023. In addition, Ben has spent some time visiting new places this year, including to North America where he immersed himself in ideas for many future art works.

Ben's work is rapidly growing from strength to strength, as he gains further recognition at a national level. He is a multi award winning artist, recognised for his contemporary mixed media take on the landscape genre. Looking ahead to 2024 will see him having multiple works published in a book celebrating landscape art.