Interviews

When we stepped into Benny Bing’s studio, we quickly realized we’re not just entering a creative space, but a world built on intention. The Toronto-based artist’s work moves beyond what you see on the canvas. It’s storytelling through colour, emotion, and presence. His canvases breathe with identity. Some how capturing the soul of Blackness, the celebration of beauty, and the individuality within it. Every brushstroke speaks to how we see ourselves and how we should be seen.

For Benny, art is more than observation, it’s translation. His portraits merge the real with the imagined, blending muses inspired by icons like Halle Berry and Lizzo, with friends, models, and women whose energy defines a moment. Each piece feels personal yet universal.  A reflection of all the forms that Black beauty can take.

By exploring different phenotypes and personalities, he’s broadening the visual language of what Blackness looks like. From regal to radiant, from subtle strength to undeniable power. His work pays homage to women who inspire him, women who lead, create, and influence culture with depth, intelligence, and confidence.

In his words, he’s “an instrument” a vessel through which stories are retold and reimagined. His art reminds us that representation isn’t just about likeness, but it’s about legacy.

While many chase the algorithm, Benny chases alignment. His creative rhythm follows the seasons, from November to April.  A deliberate window where inspiration and solitude meet. But beyond that cycle, he’s learning to create without pressure, to paint for growth rather than visibility.

In a world that glorifies constant output, Benny’s discipline feels almost rebellious. “Half of the work I do, the world doesn’t see,” he says. And that’s the beauty of it. Not every masterpiece is meant for Instagram. Not every idea needs validation. His process is rooted in truth. Create to evolve, not to prove.

By the time Benny begins a new piece, it’s never about repeating what worked, it’s about reaching what’s next. Each canvas becomes a new conversation. His latest work, one of his most detailed yet, symbolizes that ongoing dialogue of evolution, proof that the journey itself is art.

He shares how collectors who’ve followed him from 2015 to 2025 see that growth unfold before their eyes. Each painting tells a story not just of the subject, but of the artist’s becoming. To witness that evolution in any field is rare, and it’s what separates creation from craft.

In the final part of our series, Benny confronts a question few speak about publicly: How do you portray Black femininity as a male artist without distortion, without ego, and without crossing the line between admiration and objectification?

His answer is rooted in respect. He paints Black women the way they deserve to be seen. Clean, proper, regal. He understands that young girls are watching, learning what beauty looks like through the art we elevate. That awareness becomes a code, a standard, a quiet rebellion against the over-sexualized narratives that dominate mainstream imagery.

Benny’s art restores the sacred balance between admiration and integrity.  Through his work, he redefines representation not as spectacle, but as stewardship.

Through every season, every brushstroke, and every portrait, Benny Bing isn’t just painting people, he’s painting the radiance, resilience, and royalty of Black beauty. His art stands as both a celebration and a safeguard preserving the grace, strength, and spirit of Black womanhood for generations to come. Because what he creates isn’t just visual, it’s cultural. It’s legacy.