MICHAEL: Benny! Thank you for meeting with me today.
For those of you unfamiliar with Benny Bing, He is a contemporary Canadian artist, born in Nigeria who explores themes of identity, gender and Blackness. With roots in the Regent Park community that we’re going to explore further. Today I’m going to ask you some questions that will help the readers understand you on more of a personal level. Get ready for some questions that maybe you haven’t been asked before.
For now, let’s briefly discuss your journey. When did you get your start and when did you realize that art and painting is your calling.
BENNY: So prior to 2015 I was in the corporate world and in my previous career. I discovered my gift & started painting February 2015 and it’s been an amazing journey ever since. Very insightful and humbling at the same time. To answer the other part of that question which is when did I discover that it’s my calling and my purpose. I would say it would have been the beginning of 2016. That was a very pivotal moment in my career. Not only did my style evolve but also the subjects of my work evolved as I started focussing heavily on documenting the black experience. From the subjects being black women & black femininity and what that means in terms of identity, gender equality and touching on those themes that are pretty much being talked about and discuss much more now. I think women need allies in their fight for not just equality but equity. So that’s when I truly discovered what my purpose was and it made my work more meaningful.
MICHAEL: You’ve accomplished quite a bit over the past 7-8 years. I see on your website that you’ve been part of some big time exhibits, but also more recently you’ve collaborated with large brands such as IKEA, Roots and Old Navy. You just recently painted a beautiful new mural at Queen and Logan in Leslieville called “Life is Sweet”. Why don’t you elaborate on some of these accomplishments, maybe ones that you’re most proud of.
BENNY: Wow, you did a lot of research that’s amazing. Thanks for that question.
I’ve accomplished an incredible feat in my short 7-year journey but I would say the most fulfilling in a sense of accomplishment was in the Roots collaboration. Roots reached out, they wanted to work with me and putting together a collection, capsule collection, for Black History Month. To celebrate Blackness and I was so excited. Not just because they’re an iconic Canadian brand but because of the environment that the organization of Roots themselves has created. It’s a woman led and run company, the CEO is an amazing business woman. The company itself is run by some remarkable women that I’ve met along the way. All the way from top executive all the way down to the ladies & the women who work in the manufacturing that produce these garments. I met each and every one of them. Some of them working with Roots for over 20 years. Yeah, so it comes back to the meaning of the work that I do and that’s why I felt it was very fulfilling. The collection sold out in 24 hours, both at launch and at the restock.
MICHAEL: It launched in 2022 right?
BENNY: That’s right, launched in February of 2022. All of the sweatshirts, jackets sold by the next day & I think that’s the beauty of it, people want certain things and people want to shop with companies that align with their own ethics and morals. We also want to celebrate women, I think we had this stage we need to celebrate women more so that is really fulfilling.
But that’s just one of the projects that we did. There’s an Old Navy collection that came out last week.
MICHAEL: Wow, so you’ve had a very busy year!
BENNY: That’s right, it’s been a very busy year even though it was supposed to be a quiet year. it was very busy. The Old Navy collection was in collaboration with the fifteen percent pledge. Which is a US organization that gets retailers to pledge to give 50% back to the minority communities. Black and brown communities, to help black and brown communities grow. I’m really proud and happy that they were interested in collaborating with me on this project which did phenomenally well. Again, sold out within 3 hours on the Canadian website. I’m very proud of the collaborations that I do because all them always have a philanthropic component. Roots we donated all their online sales for the month of February to two organizations in Canada – the Black Opportunity Fund & Black CAP. Old Navy donated half a million dollars to the 15% pledge to help black creatives. To me this is meaningful because not only are we using art to change perspectives but we also making changes within our communities which is very important.
Part of what I do always has to involve the community, which is why the mural that you mentioned that I did in Leslieville – Logan and Queen, that was honestly it was a labour of love.
It was a project that I kind of stumbled into. It wasn’t something I planned this year. I was just walking by Craig’s Cookies every other day because I frequent Leslieville. I kept seeing the wall and I felt you know this could be a great place to transform. Because during COVID, during the lockdown, we were very much in our homes and coming back outside, we were rediscovering our neighbourhood again. That corner was being bombarded by graffiti and as this poor business owner, Craig from Craig’s cookies, was doing his best to stay on top of it and paint over it. It just became this rat race. I felt that if we implement a creative initiative on this corner it would attract more people to these businesses. Because the strength of local business in the community gives the community more life. So we partnered up and we put this mural together – “Life is Sweet”. Craig loved the proposal I provided to him & the property owners were in love as well. To celebrate this mural we organized a block party and we highlighted at all the businesses within the area. So a lot of people from Leslieville came to support, to appreciate art but also support local businesses, which I believe is key.
MICHAEL: I love that mural and I hope to see more of your murals across the city.
BENNY: Absolutely. I’m already eyeing another wall so hopefully something pops up next summer too.
MICHAEL: Regent Park, it’s fair to say it’s a community both you and I love. Can you tell me how this neighbourhood has shaped & impacted who you are today.
I like the way you phrase that question, that it has shaped and impacted the way that I am today. Regent Park is very has been a very instrumental place in my life & my career and for many reasons. Most people don’t know my story actually started here in Regent Park. My parents -immigrant father, Canadian Caribbean mother, met here on Oak street in 1971. Young couple, got married, decided to move back to Africa which is where I was raised. We vacationed in Canada, we have friends that live in Regent Park, who eventually moved out, but we still have friends here that we knew growing up. It is quite interesting how the story starts here, it goes somewhere else but returns. I think that’s the universe’s way of realigning you back on to your destiny. I wouldn’t say I’m a transplant, I would say I’m a plant that was started by that my original route started somewhere else but was transferred back to its original home in a sense. I moved to Regent Park back in 2013. We moved I think in the middle of Phase 2 or towards the end of Phase 2. My wife and I, saw the whole revitalization and the demolition of the old buildings and pretty much everything going up. It’s been a wonderful transformation. Just like we saw the old buildings come down and new ones come up, I saw the end of my first career and the beginning of my second career on my calling right here, all of this happened in Regent Park. I discovered how to paint while living in Regent Park, I met my first mentors here in Regent Park who directed me to go to Daniel’s Spectrum and ask if there is anything in terms of art that they’d be able to help me with. Which is how my career literally took off. There are very important people here in Regent Park that played pivotal roles in you know, the success of my career. My relationship with the Daniels Corporation, a developer who understands their social responsibility and the power that art plays in bringing communities together. My work is in 5 different properties here in Regent Park. Regent Park is literally the setting, the background, the environment of my life.
I think I should probably get a Regent Park tattoo or something! Haha
MICHAEL: Alright time for a quickfire round of questions!
MICHAEL: Give me your top hobby outside of painting?
BENNY: Boxing, photography, woodworking, puzzles.
MICHAEL: What’s your favorite restaurant appetizer?
BENNY: Spicy Edamame.
MICHAEL: Are you a glass of wine or a pint of beer kind of guy?
BENNY: Glass of Wine. Chardonnay, Chilled.
MICHAEL: Are you a Ritual or Uber Eats kind of guy?
BENNY: Both
MICHAEL: It’s a Sunday Morning. Are you waking up early, or sleeping in?
BENNY: Before Child or after child? Haha. I’m up.
MICHAEL: Now same style questions but about Regent Park!
MICHAEL: What’s your favorite neighbourhood amenity?
BENNY: Aaaaah. Gotta be the Athletic grounds. I gravitate and go there more than anywhere else.
MICHAEL: If you have to grab a quick coffee in the area, do you go to Sumach Espresso, Café Zuzu or Tims?
BENNY: Always first and foremost will be Sumach Espresso, second would be ZuZu, third option is Tim Hortons.
MICHAEL: What’s your favorite condo project in Regent Park?
BENNY: That’s a tough one. I’m really excited each and every one of them and their uniqueness, but if I had to pick, it has to be One Park Place. Because it’s two towers, with the best amenities out of any building. Next one after that would probably be Artworks.
MICHAEL: Give me the names of condo projects in Regent Park that are actively displaying your art in common areas or amenities.
BENNY: Start by order of acquisition – Bartholomew two in the lobby; Wyatt – one in the party room, one in other amenity space; One Park Place North – two in the lobby; DuEast there is one in the opening to amenities; one for sure but possibly two coming to Artworks.
MICHAEL: Would you ever consider leaving the area?
BENNY: No, not at all. Not in a million years. Regent Park has become home, it’s such a large part of my identity that nowhere else can come close to what this community means to me. There’s a longing to remain here and also see Regent Park fully transform and live up to it’s glory once this revitalization is fully completed.
MICHAEL: Thank you for your time today Benny. This was lovely. Where can people find you, your art & possibly purchase some of your work?
BENNY: You can visit my website – www.bennybing.com and I have a local studio in Regent Park.
Also you can find me on social, my Instagram is – @bennybing.
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