Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 12

Adolf Benca
Large Figurative Abstract Expressionist Textured Painting Adolf Benca

About the Item

Abstract oil painting on stretched canvas featuring figures against a dark brown background. Signed upper left. Adolf Benca was born in Bratislava, Slovakia in 1959. He immigrated to the United States in 1969 and he studied at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, and received a Master's of Fine Art from the Columbia University College. Adolf Benca (born 1959, in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia), is an American Post war/ Contemporary painter of Slovakian origin. Benca was born on 16 May 1959, in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. He was the older of two children, the younger being his sister Lubica. His family immigrated to the United States when he was ten years old, in 1969. From 1969 to 1973 he attended the Elementary Private School in Chicago. He attended Grayslake High School in Illinois between 1973 and 1977. He became interested in art very early in his life, attending several art schools in Chicago while he was an elementary student. In 1966, while he was still living in Czechoslovakia, he was already illustrating children's books. In 1968, a year prior to his family emigrating from Czechoslovakia, because of Russian occupation of Bratislava, his family moved to Vienna, where young Benca became interested in philosophy and started painting mythological themes and subjects. He participated in a few young artist programs in 1970 and 1971. Adolf Benca studied and graduated from several universities. From 1977 to 1981 he studied at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, art school in New York, where he received his B.F.A. (Bachelor of Fine Arts) degree. For the next four years (1982–1985) he studied at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, graduating at 1987, receiving the title of Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.). From 1987 to 1988 he studied the human anatomy at the University of Bologna in Italy where he received the title "Doctor honoris causa" (Dr.h.c.) in the area of anatomy. At University Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland he received the title "Doctor honoris causa" in the area of philosophy. As he was receiving his titles and studied, Benca continued to paint and exhibit his works in many galleries around the world, many of his paintings ending up in private collections. In 1985 he became a member of the Swizzero di Roma. In 1987 he became a member of the French Academy in Rome. In 1988 he became a member of the American Academy in Rome. In 1994 he became a member of the Swedish Institute in Rome. In 2000 he became a member of the Academy of Arts in Berlin. After "the Fall of the Iron Curtain" he decided to continue his career in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2002 he started his work in Prague, and was awarded the award of the "Masaryk Academy". In 2012 Adolf Benca and the "Bratislava's ship company" a.d. (Bratislavská lodná spoločnosť a. s ) have founded the company "Adolf Benca Académia s.r.o.". He was included in Bomb Magazine Painters & Writers No. 4 Along with William Wegman, David Salle, Nancy Spero, Francesco Clemente, Julian Schnabel, Pat Steir, and more. His works can be found all over the world, in private collections, as well as exhibits at museums, such as "Metropolitan Museum" and "Museum of Modern Art" in New York. Select Museums Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY – MoMA Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY National Art Gallery, Washington, D.C. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, The University of Oklahoma High Museum of Art Atlanta Musei Vatican, Vatican, Rome Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, Massachusetts Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection, Little Rock, Arkansas Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington, Seattle Contemporary Art Museum, Tel Aviv Art Museum, Hong Kong Floating Galleries of the Slovakia, Bratislava National Gallery of the Slovakia, Bratislava Select group exhibitions Matica Slovenska, "Cultural Revolutions", Martin, Slovakia United Nations, Artists From Slovakia Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection Achim Moeller Fine Art, New York Achim Moeller Fine Art, Salon des Beaux Arts, Paris Kennesaw State College, Marietta, Georgia Gallery Three Zero, New York, AMFAR benefit The Cooper Union, "Good Work" Stuart Levy Gallery, New York Twining Gallery, New York, Drawings on War M-13 Gallery, New York Czechoslovak Society of Arts & Sciences, Washington, D.C. Queens Museum, New York The Ewing Gallery of Art & Architecture, University of Tennessee Brenda Kroos Gallery, Columbus, Ohio Deborah Sharpe Gallery, New York Czechoslovak Society of Arts & Sciences, Montreal Paul Olsen Gallery, New York Allan Stone Gallery, New York Alexander Carlson Gallery His artworks have been exhibited in the European Parliament since the chairmanship of the Slovak Republic of the European Union.
  • Creator:
    Adolf Benca (1959)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 36.5 in (92.71 cm)Width: 34.5 in (87.63 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    minor wear.
  • Gallery Location:
    Surfside, FL
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU3829514242
More From This SellerView All
  • Large Pop Art Oil Painting "Pear" Modernist Colorful Composition Suzanne Mears
    Located in Surfside, FL
    Bold, colorful, still life oil painting of a pear. In lush, vibrant color. SUZANNE WALLACE MEARS During college she focused on painting and clay. Then it became photography and clay, then only clay, then kiln formed glass and today its kiln formed glass, painting and plasma cut steel sculpture. She also works in oil paint and encaustic. Reminiscent of the color works of Jim DIne and the fruit paintings of Tom Seghi. She never works with only one medium. She uses color and texture to create energetic, luminous, joyous works with the glass. Bright, bold color using reds, blues, oranges reflect my travels in color saturated countries such as Tibet, Nepal, China and Mexico. At random I use solid color fields as a challenge to my driving love of vibrant color. Her favorite themes are inspired by nature and antiquity. Kiln formed glass uses flat sheets of glass which are cut into shapes, layered and incorporate accessory elements of frits, copper wire and mesh, pieces of sheet copper or brass and dichroic glass fired in a kiln. EDUCATION BA, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 1964 Graduate School, 44 hours, double major Summer School University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 1963 Master Class, Patty Gray Instructor, tde Glass Furnace, Turkey Master Class, Richard La Londe...
    Category

    20th Century Pop Art Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Canvas, Oil

  • French Jewish Post Holocaust Abstract Painting Manner of Hundertwasser Art Brut
    By Jichak Pressburger
    Located in Surfside, FL
    Jichak Pressburger, Painter. b. 1933, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. A concentration camp survivior. Came to Israel aboard the ship, "The Exodus". 1964 Went to Paris. In 1979 Returned as new immigrant. Education Tel Aviv University, B.A. in art, with Marcel Janco and Isidor Ascheim at Avni art school. Beaux Arts, Paris with Professor Coutaud. Itzchak Pressburger Stays in Paris from 1963 – 1979, Resident of the “Cité des Arts” 1969-1972. Lives and works in Jerusalem since 1979. One-Man Exhibitions 1963 Gallery Dugit, Tel-Aviv 1968 Cultural Center Enkhuizen, Netherlands 1968 Gallery Zunini, Paris (chosen by the art critic of « Opus : Jean-Jacques Lévèque) 1970 Gallery Zunini, Paris 1973 Gallery Maitre Albert, Paris. Cultural Center Verfeil sur Seye, France 1974 Gallery Maitre Albert, Paris 1976 Gallery Mundo, Barcelone 1980 Artists’ House, Jerusalem 1981 Gallery Alain Gerard, Paris Group Exhibitions 1966 Rathaus Charlottenburg, Berlin. (The first show of Israeli painters in Germany Artists Center of Silvarouvres, Nantes, Ffance XXXth Salon of Finances at “l’Hotel des Monnaies”, Paris 1969 Maison de Culture, Le Havre, France 1968 Gallery Zunini, Paris (chosen by the art critic of « Opus : Jean-Jacques Lévèque) Salon « Grands et Jeunes d’Aujourd’hui », Paris Museum of Fine Arts, Nantes, France Cultural Center Vitry, France Gallery Il Giorno, Milan Cité des Arts, Paris 1972 Salon “Grands et Jeunes d’Aujourd’hui”, Paris Salon de Mai, Paris 1973 Städtische Galerie, Siegen, Germany 1974 Jewish Cultural Center, Paris Publicis, Paris 1975 Réalitiés Nouvelles, Paris 1976 Salon de Mai, Paris 1977 “Perspectives Israeliennes”, Grand Palais, Paris 1981 Salon Alain Gerard, Paris 1984 Artists’ House, Jerusalem Publication 1990 Haggadah Yom Kippour (Hebrew/French) Abraham Bliah (private edition), Paris Acquisitions 1968 The City of Paris 1972 The State of France The Yitzchak Pressburger artist was born in Bratislava – known for centuries by its German name of Pressburg – but the outbreak of World War II found him and his family in Prague. His father realized they had to escape from the Nazi occupiers and tried to get the family across the border into Hungary. However, they were caught near the crossing point, arrested and incarcerated overnight at the nearby railway station. The Czechs put them on a train to Hungary early the next morning. That was their first miracle in their quest for survival. They survived with relative ease until late 1943, when the father was taken away to a forced labor camp. He subsequently died in a death march. Things became even more precarious in early 1944, when the Holocaust made its full-blown presence felt in Hungary. “It wasn’t the Germans, it was the Hungarian Nazis who did the dirty work,” Pressburger points out. The family lived in so-called “safe houses” that were protected by Switzerland, Finland and Sweden. The havens were dismantled in late 1944, and the Pressburgers moved into one of the two Jewish ghettos in Budapest. The Nazis had found two houses with Jews, including the one where we had been, and took them all out and shot them next to the Danube. Today there is a monument by the river [called Shoes on the Danube Bank]. We should have been with the Jews who were killed by the river,” he says. After the war, Pressburger and his siblings were farmed out to various orphanages run by the Jewish Agency, and things took a decidedly better turn. “We finally had food to eat,” he recalls. “After a while we were put on trains that were protected by the Jewish Brigade [of the British Army], and we were sent to Austria, and then to Germany.” “My uncle was a famous artist, and I learned a lot from him,” he says. While in Germany, Pressburger also took some lessons with a local artist. His mother managed to get him and two of his siblings berths on the Exodus, which set sail from Marseilles for Palestine in July 1947. Pressburger was 13 at the time and clearly recalls the aborted attempt to get to the Promised Land. “It was so crowded on the boat. This was a ship that was made to ply rivers in the United States, with a few hundred people on board, and we had over 4,500 passengers crammed in.” As we know, the British prevented the Exodus from docking in Palestine, and the passengers were shipped – in three far more seaworthy vessels – back to France. After the French government refused to cooperate with the British, Pressburger and the others found themselves back in Germany. The teenager eventually made it here in 1948, just one month before the Declaration of Independence. After a short furlough in Tel Aviv, during the first lull in the fighting in the War of Independence, he moved to Kibbutz Kfar Ruppin, where he worked in the cowshed. All the while he continued feverishly drawing and honing his artistic skills, which he says came in handy when he joined the IDF. After completing his military service, which included a spell as one of the founding members of the Flotilla 13 naval commando unit, he worked in Sdom for a while at the Dead Sea Works before starting his formal arts training in earnest. I was in the first group of students at the Avni Institute [in Tel Aviv],” he says. “There was quite a famous bunch of students and teachers like Moshe Mokadi and Isidore Ascheim and Aaron Giladi.” In such illustrious company, one might have thought Pressburger was set to unleash his burgeoning talents on art connoisseurs across the globe, but it was a while before that happened. Pressburger arrived in the French capital in 1964 and spent close to 15 years there, with a short interlude in Germany, before returning to Israel. His time in Paris was a professionally rewarding period of his life, and he also found love. “[Avni Institute teacher] Yochanan Simon gave me the name and address of a French-Israeli family in Paris, but when I got to the house, a young woman opened the door and told me the family was on vacation in Israel,” he explains. Despite missing his expected hosts’ welcome, he and the German-born young lady who greeted him soon fell for each other, and romance quickly led to wedding bells. By all accounts, Pressburger did well in Europe. He secured a rare three-year berth at Cité Internationale des Arts, where artists are normally provided with accommodation and studio space for between two months and a year. He was also accepted to the prestigious Beaux Arts academy of fine arts, mounted solo exhibitions, and took part in group shows all over Europe. One of these last was a group exhibition at Rathaus Charlottenburg in Berlin in 1966 – the first exhibition of Israeli artists in Germany after the Holocaust. When he arrived in Berlin, the lineup for the Israeli show was already signed and sealed, but somehow his work came to the attention of the German culture minister, who arranged for him to join. The Pressburgers’ year-long sojourn came to an abrupt end following an encounter he had one day while walking through the crowded Berlin streets...
    Category

    1960s Expressionist Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Canvas, Oil

  • Israeli Cubist Modernist Oil Painting "Rosh Shiryon Abir" Armor
    By Shlomo Zafrir
    Located in Surfside, FL
    Shlomo Zafrir is active/lives in Israel, France. Shlomo Zafrir is known for cubist painting. Shlomo Zafrir is a painter and, at the same time, the owner of a nightclub called Omar K...
    Category

    1960s Cubist Abstract Paintings

    Materials

    Canvas, Oil

  • Abstract Procession Jewish Wedding Chuppah Oil Painting Modernist Judaica
    By Sabina Teichman
    Located in Surfside, FL
    Genre: Modern Subject: Abstract Medium: Oil Surface: Canvas Country: United States Sabina Teichman: (1905-1983) Studied at Columbia Univ. (BA, MA), also with Charles J. Martin and A...
    Category

    1950s American Modern Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Canvas, Oil

  • Judaica Modernist Oil Painting 'Know Thyself' Israeli Kibbutz Pioneer, Prophet
    By Mortimer Borne
    Located in Surfside, FL
    Mortimer Borne, Printmaker, painter, sculptor, and educator was born in Rypin, Poland in 1902 and emigrated to the US in 1916. He studied at the National Academy of Design, The Art Students League, The Beaux-Arts Institute of Design, and with Charles Webster Hawthorne, founder of the Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown. Painted in a thick impasto style similar in technique to Samuel Rothbort and David Burliuk. Borne himself taught at The New School for Social Research in New York City from 1945-1967. From the 1920s through the 40s he was a prolific producer of New York City cityscapes and genre scenes. In later decades, he adopted a more modernist style apparently influenced by Picasso, producing color drypoints of abstracted figures. His works were widely exhibited in museums in the U.S. and abroad from 1931 and later, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Corcoran Gallery of Art, New York Public Library, Carnegie Institute, and Royal Society of Painters, Etchers and Engravers in London. He taught at The New School for Social Research in New York City from 1945-1967, and at the Tappan Zee...
    Category

    1970s Modern Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Canvas, Oil

  • Israeli KIbbutz Artist Toddler, Swim Tube Pointilist Oil Painting Bezalel School
    By Arie Kaplun
    Located in Surfside, FL
    Belarusian born Israeli artist. lived in germany studied at the Bezalel School. Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design is Israel's national school of art. Established in 1906 by Jewish...
    Category

    20th Century Pointillist Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Canvas, Oil

You May Also Like
  • Leader and Followers
    Located in Ibadan, Oyo
    "Leader and Followers" is a visually striking piece of art that immediately captures the viewer's attention. The artwork, which was created using a combination of oil colors, feature...
    Category

    1990s Abstract Expressionist Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Canvas, Oil

  • Crimson Adornment
    Located in Ibadan, Oyo
    Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gallery) About Artist Abiodun Nafiu Azeez is an accomplished artist with a diverse background in contemporary painting, particularly Osogbo art. However, his true passion lies in abstract expression, where he seeks to promote African art, culture, and nature. Influenced by his artist father, he paints to preserve memories and connect with broader societal concerns. Abiodun's artistic style is characterized by the abstraction and simplification of human compositions. He employs vibrant oil colors, often focusing on primary colors that transition into secondary and tertiary hues. His subjects stand out against neutral backgrounds, creating a harmonious balance in his paintings. A prominent feature in his works is the use of red, blue, and yellow tones, subtly blended to emphasize form and shape. His artistic journey includes training under renowned bead painting contemporary artist Jimoh Buraimoh...
    Category

    1990s Abstract Expressionist Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Canvas, Oil

  • Untitled
    Located in Ibadan, Oyo
    Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gallery) About Artist Abiodun Nafiu Azeez is an accomplished artist with a diverse background in contemporary painting, particularly Osogbo art. However, his true passion lies in abstract expression, where he seeks to promote African art, culture, and nature. Influenced by his artist father, he paints to preserve memories and connect with broader societal concerns. Abiodun's artistic style is characterized by the abstraction and simplification of human compositions. He employs vibrant oil colors, often focusing on primary colors that transition into secondary and tertiary hues. His subjects stand out against neutral backgrounds, creating a harmonious balance in his paintings. A prominent feature in his works is the use of red, blue, and yellow tones, subtly blended to emphasize form and shape. His artistic journey includes training under renowned bead painting contemporary artist Jimoh Buraimoh...
    Category

    1990s Abstract Expressionist Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Canvas, Oil

  • Sisters in the Garden
    Located in Ibadan, Oyo
    "Sisters in the Garden," created by Abiodun Nafiu Azeez, is a heartwarming and evocative artwork that portrays the bond between three sisters. The piece exudes a sense of unity, love, and shared experiences as the sisters are depicted in a garden setting. Azeez's artistry beautifully captures the essence of sisterhood, emphasizing the connections and memories they create together. Through vibrant colors and meticulous detail, the artist conveys the joy and companionship found within the relationships among siblings. "Sisters in the Garden" is a touching tribute to the profound and enduring connections that sisters share, making it a truly special and emotionally resonant work of art. Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gallery) About Artist Abiodun Nafiu Azeez is an accomplished artist with a diverse background in contemporary painting, particularly Osogbo art. However, his true passion lies in abstract expression, where he seeks to promote African art, culture, and nature. Influenced by his artist father, he paints to preserve memories and connect with broader societal concerns. Abiodun's artistic style is characterized by the abstraction and simplification of human compositions. He employs vibrant oil colors, often focusing on primary colors that transition into secondary and tertiary hues. His subjects stand out against neutral backgrounds, creating a harmonious balance in his paintings. A prominent feature in his works is the use of red, blue, and yellow tones, subtly blended to emphasize form and shape. His artistic journey includes training under renowned bead painting contemporary artist Jimoh Buraimoh...
    Category

    1990s Contemporary Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

  • The Pairing
    Located in Ibadan, Oyo
    "The Pairing" is a visually captivating artwork that immediately draws the viewer into its world of balance and harmony. Created with meticulous attention to detail using oil on canvas, the piece depicts two elements, symbolized by two figures that appear almost seamlessly connected. The intricate composition and vibrant colors employed by Azeez add depth and richness to the narrative. The composition of "The Pairing" is central to its narrative, highlighting the concept of balance and unity. The two figures, starkly different in demeanor, seem to be locked in a delicate dance, symbolizing the interdependence and equilibrium that underlie our existence. One figure radiates warmth, with soft, curved lines and soothing colors, representing elements of comfort and familiarity. The other figure, in contrast, exudes vibrancy and vitality, marked by bold angles and contrasting hues that suggest energy and dynamism. The juxtaposition of these elements illustrates the complementary nature of opposites and the harmony that can arise from their pairing. At its heart, "The Pairing" conveys a powerful message about the beauty of diversity and the harmony that can emerge from embracing contrasting elements. The artwork serves as a reminder that our world is enriched by the interplay of opposing forces, and it is through the coming together of these elements that balance and unity are achieved. In an age marked by division and polarization, "The Pairing" encourages us to celebrate our differences and seek common ground. It underscores the idea that, by recognizing the value of diverse perspectives and experiences, we can create a more harmonious and balanced world. As we engage with "The Pairing," we are reminded of the profound interconnectedness of all things and the potential for beauty and balance to emerge from the interplay of opposites. Azeez's work serves as a visual testament to the enduring power of harmony and unity, leaving a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to experience it. Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gallery) About Artist Abiodun Nafiu Azeez is an accomplished artist with a diverse background in contemporary painting, particularly Osogbo art. However, his true passion lies in abstract expression, where he seeks to promote African art, culture, and nature. Influenced by his artist father, he paints to preserve memories and connect with broader societal concerns. Abiodun's artistic style is characterized by the abstraction and simplification of human compositions. He employs vibrant oil colors, often focusing on primary colors that transition into secondary and tertiary hues. His subjects stand out against neutral backgrounds, creating a harmonious balance in his paintings. A prominent feature in his works is the use of red, blue, and yellow tones, subtly blended to emphasize form and shape. His artistic journey includes training under renowned bead painting contemporary artist Jimoh Buraimoh...
    Category

    1990s Abstract Expressionist Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Canvas, Oil

  • Friendship
    Located in Ibadan, Oyo
    "Friendship" is a visually captivating artwork that immediately evokes a sense of warmth and connection. The piece is created using oil and acrylic on canvas and portrays two figures...
    Category

    1990s Old Masters Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Recently Viewed

View All