Photograph by Elias Williams
Christopher Joshua Benton is an American based in Abu Dhabi and Boston, working in artistic research and installation. He works closely with communities to instigate collaboration and share stories of power, labor, and hope. Inspired by his 9 years living in the United Arab Emirates, Christopher investigates traces of the homeland in the diaspora.
Past projects have been presented at museums, biennials and art fairs around the world including the Fikra Graphic Design Biennial (Sharjah, UAE), Abu Dhabi Art: Beyond Emerging (Venice Bienniale) and Dubai Design Week. Further projects have been exhibited at Jameel Arts Centre (Dubai, UAE); Warehouse421 (Abu Dhabi, UAE); Aicon Gallery (NYC, USA); and BLOCKHOUSE (Tokyo, Japan), among others. His art and research have been featured on the BBC and in outlets like Dezeen, GQ, Architectural Digest, and Harper's Bazaar Art. You can find his writing and art criticism in Identity, Tribe Photo Magazine, and Global Art Daily.
Christopher is a graduate of University of Georgia and has completed programs and fellowships with University of Oxford as a Gilman Scholar and Rhode Island School of Design. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in Art, Culture, and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology through the generous support of the Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation. He is the former creative director of Huawei.
Education
2023
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MS, Art, Culture and Technology
2011
The University of Georgia
BA, English Literature, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences
2011
University of Oxford
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholar, Keble College
Solo Exhibitions
2021
Beyond: Emerging Artists. Abu Dhabi Art 2021, Abu Dhabi, UAE
(curated by Till Felrath and Sam Bardaouil)
2021
Worked (So and so and On and on and So on and So On), Al Jimi, Al Ain, UAE
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022
59th La Biennale di Venezia 2022: Offsite Projects, Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti, Venice, Italy
2022
Frome Photo Festival, Culture Pool, Maker’s Yard, Frome, UK
2022
Harold & Arlene Schnitzer Prize in the Visual Arts Exhibition, MIT Wiesner Art Gallery, Cambridge, MA
2022
I Shouted My Laughter to the Stars, Aicon Contemporary, New York City, NY
2021
So Different, So Appealing, Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi, UAE
(collab. w/ Rakan Ghresi & Ashay Bhave)(curated by Murtaza Vali)
2021
Garden of E-arthly Delights, Sumac Space, Dubai, UAE (curated by Ruba Al-Seel)
2021
East East Vol. 4: The Curio Shop Part II, Block House, Tokyo, Japan (curated by Sophie Arni)
2021
East East Vol. 4: The Curio Shop Part I, H.B. Nezu, Tokyo, Japan (curaetd by Sophie Arni)
2020
Al Seef Festival, Dubai, UAE
2020
UAE Designer’s Exhibition, Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, UAE
2019
Practice & Critique, Warehouse 421, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2019
Localities, Satellite Gallery, Dubai, UAE
2019
001, The Cave DXB, Dubai, UAE
2018
Department of Non-Binaries, Fikra Graphic Design Biennial, Sharjah, UAE
2018
SIKKA Art Fair, Dubai, UAE
2018
Edition 1, Blue Cave Urban Art Festival, Dubai, UAE
2017
SIKKA Art Fair, Dubai, UAE
Fellowships & Residencies
2020
Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation Art Residency, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2019
Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation Emerging Artist Fellowship in partnership with Rhode Island School of Design
Commisions
2020
“How to Be at Rest” Dubai Design Week, Dubai
2019
“Who Gets Paid for Digital Labor?” Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai
2018
“LLC (Beware Illegal Recruiter),” Project Warehouse, Warehouse 421, Abu Dhabi
2016
“Execute Trajectory,” Al Quoz Arts Festival, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, UAE
Grants, Funding & Awards
2022
Meta/ Instagram Emerging #BlackVisionaries Grant
2022
Harold & Arlene Schnitzer Prize in the Visual Arts Prize (5,000 USD)
2022
MIT ACT Pilot Grant
2021
MIT ACT Pilot Grant
2021
Council for the Arts MIT Grant
2021
Abu Dhabi Art Emerging Artist Commissions Grant
2021
Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation Emerging Artist Fellow Scholarship
2021
MIT Department of Architecture Graduate Fellowship
2020
Art Jameel Research and Practice Platform Grant
Curatorial Projects
2020
“Do You See Me How I See You?” maisan15 Gallery
Teaching, Lectures & Workshops
2019
"Bull in an Archive," MIT List Center, 18 May 2022, Lecture.
2021
Teaching Fellow, MIT. Advanced Workshop in Artistic Practice and Transdisciplinary Research: Choreographing the City. Led by Gediminas Urbonas & Adesola Akinleye in partnership with Theatrum Mundi and Prof. Richard Sennet (Spring 2022)
2019
“Equality in Design: The need for just representation.” Dubai Design Week Talks, 9 November 2020, Lecture
2019
“Art Not Art,” American University of Dubai, Lecture
2019
“Lost and Unfound: Art-making and the Tentative Sculpture,” Warehouse 421, Workshop
2019
“Why Who Gets to Say What Where,” Warehouse 421, Moderator & Organizer, Workshop
2018
“#ArtSELFIE: Interactive Art for the Digital Age,” World Art Dubai, 20 April 2018, DWTC, Lecture
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