Ben Perini Portraits

This series of large charcoal portraits began in 2012, but I have this feeling that I’ve been working on it my whole life. It is in many ways a culmination of; my love of drawing since childhood, my over 40-year career as a professional illustrator, my practice of my craft every day.

Formed with charcoal and white chalk on paper, these striking larger-than-life images are an exploration of environmental, political, and cultural themes. They act as a meditation on identity, the intersection of the personal and the societal. Though fictional portraits, each draws inspiration from the powerful and deeply human people I’ve been lucky to know in my life.

The resulting visual "poetry" is deeply personal — but also playful. As with all creations of the imagination, I’d be lying if I didn’t say it’s great fun. This leaves the ultimate interpretation of each piece’s drama up to the viewer.