Bienvenido “Bones” Banez, Jr.

“’Bienvenido Bones Banez, Jr.”’ is a Filipino surrealist painter born in Davao City in the southern island of Mindanao, the Philippines, on June 7, 1962. Bien rose to comparative international prominence when he was counted in as the greatest living Filipino surrealist by Terrance Lindall1, president and executive director of the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center in New York. '

Overview

College Years

At The Learning Center of the Arts (now Ford Academy of the Arts) Ben came under the watchful eyes of national artist Victorio C. Edades, Jr. (now deceased), who, along with school president Aida Rivera-Ford, was the soul behind the establishment of the arts institution.

Later, Ben became associate professor of Fine Arts in his college alma mater and at the Philippine Women’s College-Davao which, following the success of the Ford Academy, had opened its own Fine Arts department.

Ben began to participate in the annual competition launched by America’s largest international artist community, the Vermont Studio Center based in Vermont, USA. Ben complied. After two tries he won first place in said competition and, by October 2002, flew all-expense paid to the USA for his grand prize. 2

American Period

Bienvenido Bones Banez, Jr., spent two months of artist residency at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT., October and November of 2002, as main part of his prize. There He also had a one-person exhibition in the community’s Red Mill Gallery. After his VSC stint, he applied for working permit and tutored special children in California. In 2004 he proceeded to New York.

The Thematic Focus of the 666 Art World

The theme of all of Ben’s work is the "World of 666" focusing on Satan being "Perfect in Prettiness." 3 Ben desired to see the Antichrist with admiration because of his strong belief in Almighty God, as told by Judeo-Christian metanarrative about the Devil’s rebellious power dominating over the world4. Terrance Lindall categorizes Ben's work as "Fiero Electric" because of his striking juxtaposition of primary colors. 5

The Terrance Lindall Association

At the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Ben met Terrance Lindall, the organizer of the world renowned Brave Destiny exhibit in 2003 and a John Milton scholar and illustrator of Paradise Lost. Ben’s Warlock Dreams was exhibited in the Brave Destiny exhibit in 2003 6 Ben was the only Filipino featured in Milton’s world’s largest ever celebration for John Milton’s 400th birthday, the 2008 Grand Paradise Lost Costume Ball and Exhibition, organized by Lindall with one of Milton’s descendents Clive Milton present.

Selected Exhibitions

Brave Destiny Exhibit7 2003

Around the Coyote Winter Arts Festival. 2003, Chicago IL. USA

Paradise Lost Festival and Ehibit Celebrating Milton’s 400th Birthday, 2008 89

Fifty Year Fantastic, The Society for Art of Imagination, United Kingdom, London, 2010 10

International Surrealist Show, 2006, 2008 11

Selected Contemporary Works From The Permanent Collection, PART 2 (2002-Present), Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA12

A Peaceful Aftrenoon Birthday Toast for Terrance Lindall & Yuko Nii Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA 13

WAH Salon Art Club, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

Red Mill Gallery, Vermont Studio Center, 2002, Johnson, Vermont, USA 14

Mark Gallery, 1993, Davao City, Philippines

Victoria Gallery,Victoria Plaza, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines

April 1984, Ford Academy of the Arts, 1984, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines

WAH Salon Art Club, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 201115

Amarin Café, Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Reviews and Publications

Paradise Lost Elephant Folio, 2011 16

LEXIKON-SURREAL (Gerhard Habarta), Encyclopedia of Fantastic & Surrealistic & Symbolist & Visionary Artists, 2009, Internationales Archiv Fantastischer Kunstler 17

WHO’S WHO in VISUAL ART 2010-2011, 2010, Art Domain Whois Verlag, Leipzig 18

WHAT’S NEW IN THE SURREAL WORLD (Terrance Lindall), Art & Antiques Magazine, /March 2006/

VISIONARY ART YEARBOOK 2010-201, By Otto Rapp, 19

‘’INDEX OF PAINTERS & SCULPTORS BIOGRAPHY & WORKS AROUND THE WORLD’’20

PANANAW-2 Book of Mindanao Artists 2000, Philippine Journal of Visual Art

DAVAO HARVEST –TWO / 2008, Edited by: Ricardo M. de Ungria & Tita Lacambra Ayala, National Commission for Culture and the Arts

CROSS BREED & ÉMIGRÉ, VISUAL FLUX 200, Documentation Project of National Commission Culture & Arts