Program Description
Event Details
Meet the artist and enjoy light refreshments 2-3PM. A hands-on art workshop led by Benz will be held immediately following the reception from 3-4PM in the Small Meeting Room.
Flowers for People is an art exhibition inspired by the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual challenges that humans are facing on a daily basis.
Sirimas Benz Amatayakul created these paintings not only to document the pain and suffering that the collective is going through at this time but also to transform these suffering into something beautiful and hopeful. Abstract Flowers are chosen as a means to showcase these transformations.
Her paintings are raw, vulnerable, slightly messy, and imperfect. They were created with the intention to connect and empathize with fellow humans. They were created to offer a glimpse of the hope for recovery and the love that transcends all suffering.
Related Events:
Art Exhibit: Flowers for People by Benz Amataya, will be on view from April 1-30 at the Main Library Art Gallery.
Art Workshop: Flowers for You, Hands-on Art Workshop (Ages 10 and Up) led by Benz, April 5, 3:00-4:00PM, Small Meeting Room. Please Register Here
Family Art Workshop: Flowers For You, Hands-on Art Workshop (Ages 5 and Up, all children under 10 years old must be accompanied by an adult), April 19, 2:00-3:00PM, Main Library Art Gallery. Please Register Here
More about the artist
Sirimas Benz Amatayakul (b. Bangkok, Thailand) is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist and mindfulness practitioner.
Benz is currently pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Concordia University Chicago.
Benz received a Master’s Degree in Integrated Communications from the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, and a Certification in Expressive Art Facilitation from Open Studio Project (Evanston, Ill.). She is a certified Mental Health First Aider and is in the process of becoming a Certified Peer Support Specialist with the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Benz is a founder and facilitator of The Dear Artists Project, a platform with a mission to create more dialogues around mental health in the art community. Dear Artists pioneered a virtual artist residency called Dear Artists With Anxiety residency, a week-long virtual residency that ran throughout the year to showcase artists’ work while highlighting and documenting their mental health journeys.
Benz’s work has been shown at The United Club, O’Hare International Airport (Chicago, Ill.), The Evanston Art Center (Evanston, Ill.), The Hyde Park Art Center (Chicago, Ill.), Roots and Culture (Chicago, Ill.), Oak Park Art League (Oak Park, Ill.), and Chicago Artists Coalition (Chicago, Ill.).