Statement and Bio

Statement
I use painting to explore my environment, experiences, and inner world. In an effort to materialize a fleeting moment or feeling, something entirely new is born. This process never ceases to excite, frustrate, and intrigue me. Painting makes me look at the rest of the world as artwork and my paintings are a response to the things that move me.

Socially engaged projects and teaching are integral components of my artistic practice. Working with, learning from, and sharing experiences with others motivates other aspects of my work and allows me to better contextualize my role as an artist.

Bio:
Ben Hamburger is a painter and art educator based in New Orleans, LA. Hamburger holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts from Eckerd College and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Community Arts from Maryland Institute College of Art. His work has been exhibited in group and solo exhibitions around the country at locations including the Maryhill Museum of Art, The San Bernardino County Museum, Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh, and Degas Gallery in New Orleans, LA. He has led workshops and taught courses in public schools, universities, art centers, museums, correctional facilities, and nonprofit organizations around the United States, as well as in Bolivia, Thailand, and India. Hamburger has attended artist residencies at Sustainable Bolivia in Cochabamba, Bolivia, Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency in Joshua Tree, CA, and the Artist and Sense of Place Residency, at Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, LA. His work has been covered by NPR, The News and Observer, South: A Scholarly Journal, Scalawag, Voice of America, Tampa Bay Times, and The Baltimore Sun. Hamburger is currently an Adjunct Instructor in the School of Art and Design at Western Carolina University, teaches painting courses at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Art, and continues to teach sporadic workshops around the country. He can frequently be found painting around New Orleans and in his space at Mid-City Artist Studios.