Erick Antonio Benitez (b. 1988, Bronx, NY) is a first generation Salvadoran-American multidisciplinary artist, musician, organizer and curator based between Baltimore, MD and Los Angeles, CA. He received a BFA in Painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art and has exhibited work at Selenas Mountain (NY), REGULARNORMAL at Dinner Gallery (NY), Greenpoint Gallery (NY),  Connor Smith Gallery (DC), The Baltimore Museum of Art (MD), Gaddis Geeslin Gallery (TX), Strange Fire Collective (CO), Galerie B-312 (Montreal, QC), Metafora Studio Arts (Barcelona, ES) and Simultan Festival (Timișoara, RO). His work has been reviewed by The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, BmoreArt, The American Scholar, Terremoto (MX) and Le Devoir (QC) and a few publications including the sixth issue of BmoreArt Magazine, Let’s Talk Live (WJLA), and Hyrsteria Zine Vol. 2. Benitez is also a recipient of the Ruby Artist Project grant, The Contemporary: Grit Fund 2, MASB Travel Artist Award, Janet and Walter Sondheim Artscape Award and has participated in The Studios residency at MASS MoCA (North Adams, MA). Most recently, Benitez received a Baltimore Light City Festival commission and an invitation to Pigment Sauvage “La Track'' residency in Montreal, Quebec-Canada.

The exhibit discussed in the interview is A Country Made of Ice Cream.

Erick Antonio Benitez Bare witness, while I bare feet, 2021 Acrylic, airbrush , and collage on stretched mylar 10 x 8 in

Erick Antonio Benitez Karma & Desire (A Poet’s Eulogy), 2022 Acrylic , airbrush, charcoal, and ink on canvas 36 x 32 in

Erick Antonio Benitez, Poetry for 12 Cave Paintings, 2022, Acrylic , airbrush, charcoal, collage and ink on canvas, 36 x 32 in