Who am I?
"I am just a man on a journey. A path of challenges, lessons and triumphs. Inspired by it all, each piece I create explores a piece of myself. My creative endeavors are essential to my journey, a journey I feel deeply about."
Biography
Benjamin Ferguson Jr was born on Grand Bahama Island, The Bahamas in 1987. Born in the isles of sun, sand, and sea Ferguson’s quaint island upbringing would set the stage for a lifetime of visual artistic expression. Early on, Ben was captivated by the paradisiacal nature of the world around him. Inspired by more than just the scenery Ben became drawn to the vibrant energy of the people around him and through his art set out to tell their stories. The stories of generations of people with a rich cultural history and more specifically the stories of an island nation finding its place in our constantly changing world while holding on to simpler times.
Since his start as an amateur artist, Benjamin has seen his work evolve into collections that have sparked national conversations and spurred meaningful cultural dialogue all while receiving local and international accolades.
As an award-nominated visual artist, Ben has mastered the ability to tell his stories across multiple disciplines, working in mediums from acrylics to ceramics. In addition to receiving both newspaper and television coverage from the like of the Tribune Newspaper, The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas and The Freeport News, Ben’s work has been exhibited at galleries across the country including the famed Gloria Banks Gallery on Grand Bahama Island, The Sheldon Saint Gallery, The Salus Gallery, the renowned Central Bank of The Bahamas Gallery and The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. Ben’s work has been featured on The International Monetary Fund’s Finance and development magazine.
His contributions to the Bahamian art community now extend to the furtherance of the creative culture around the country, the region, and the world. He has been a part of the Caribbean Culture Fund (CCF) Feasibility Study’s round table discussing matters of Art and Social Transformation and UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Round Table for Grand Bahama. He is also a member of the Bahamas Tourism After receiving his AA of Arts and B. Ed. Art K-12 from The College of The Bahamas, Ben has dedicated his life to the next generation of Bahamian artists. In addition to serving as the President of the Grand Bahama Artists Association and a member of The Bahamas Tourism Development Corporation’s Creative Council, he dedicates his days to teaching and mentoring art students at the Jack Hayward Senior High School.