David Benarroch ⎸ Israel-Spain

Installation shot, “Tangible Matter”, solo exhibition at F2 Gallery, Madrid, Spain 

My name is David Benarroch, and I am an Israeli/Spanish artist who works between Durham, North Carolina, Madrid, and Tel Aviv. I work in sculpture, drawing, and installation, using processable materials that are in transition from liquid to solid, such as resin, cement, latex, and bronze. These materials allow me to explore my interests in the process, human body movements, and gestures.

Over the past decade, I have worked on projects internationally with institutions and galleries. Last year, I was awarded the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant for my achievements. Following the grant, I produced a series of sculptures and drawings that were shown in my recent solo exhibition "Tangible Matter" at F2 Gallery in Madrid. Still part of this research, I am working towards a solo exhibition for the Golden Belt Gallery in North Carolina, which will open next month.

Hold as Hard as You Can, 2023

Today, I want to present my upcoming exhibition, "Hold as Hard as You Can," which consists of a group of sculptures and drawings that show a direct physical impact on the material and focus on the dynamics of the process of making. The sculptures, made of resin, cement, latex, and metals, are shaped during the process of making and can range from a totem-like form to amorphous shapes.

"uu72", 2023, Oil sticks, graphite, and mixed media on paper (three units), 322 x 145 cm 

I use a spontaneous approach when using the material. It allows me moments of losing control and reaching directions I haven't thought of before. The power I impose and the nature of the material are always in dialogue. I cast or apply the resin and give voice to the material by letting the nature of gravity take part in the work, allowing it to affect the final work in unexpected ways.

My works are driven by an urge to explore, a motivation that reflects my biography. In 2019, I moved from Israel to Spain to explore my Sephardic culture. I got to know a culture in which I feel like a local and a foreigner at the same time. That feeling is the basis of my sculptures, a way for me to explore balance, equilibrium, tension, and anxiety.

I would like to share moments of lack of control, playfulness, and freedom with the audience as a way to rethink our tendency to subdue our surroundings to our wants and desires.

Installation shot, “Tangible Matter”, solo exhibition at F2 Gallery, Madrid, Spain 

For further information, collaborations, and more, please feel free to email me at [email protected]. More updates about my upcoming exhibition and other projects can be found on my Instagram @dudidooo and my website, www.davidbenarroch.com