Ben Slow: The Artist Who Paints Emotions into Existence

There are artists who can sketch a face with the precision of a forensic scientist, nailing every detail from the arch of the nose to the wayward curl of hair. And then there's Ben Slow, who doesn't just paint faces; he distills the very essence of what it means to be human and slaps it on a canvas—or, more often than not, a towering wall. We collaborated on a project a few years back—a mural for the New York offices of a certain bat-and-ball sport’s upper echelon. The NDA I signed prevents me from name-dropping, but suffice it to say, the work was as colossal as it was confidential.

A Master of Emotional Portraiture

With Ben, you don't just look at his portraits—you have a staring contest with them. And trust me, they win. Each piece seems to pulse with life, as though the subject is about to step out of the frame and ask you for the time. The emotions are so tangible that they practically whisper their life stories to you, leaving you with the distinct feeling that you’ve known these people for years.

Ben’s creative process is as much about intuition as it is about precision. He starts with a series of photographs, not just to capture his subject's appearance, but to delve into who they are on a more profound level. It's this dedication to understanding the person behind the face that gives his work its depth.

Art That Transcends the Surface

What’s truly remarkable about Ben’s work is its ability to transcend the physical medium. His portraits, often done in a restrained monochromatic palette with occasional bursts of color, manage to strip away everything but the raw, unfiltered humanity of the subject. The emotional intensity is so potent that it feels like the colors themselves are carrying the weight of the subject’s memories and experiences.

And then, there are the eyes. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but Ben’s portraits make you believe he’s got a skeleton key to every lock. Whether the subject is staring you down or lost in thought, their eyes are always alive with stories untold.

While Ben does create smaller works on canvas, it’s his large-scale murals that leave me in awe. His ability to maintain the emotional nuance of a subject’s expression on a surface the size of a building is nothing short of alchemy. Watching him translate the same delicate emotions from a photograph to a wall that dwarfs you—while keeping the proportions immaculate—is a masterclass in artistic wizardry. He’s a genius, full stop.

Final Thoughts

Looking back on my time working with Ben, I realize that what sets him apart isn’t just his immense talent; it’s his ability to see through the superficial and tap into the profound. His art goes beyond mere aesthetics—it’s a deep dive into what it means to be human.

Ben Slow paints with a kind of empathy and passion that makes you feel like you’re seeing the world through his eyes. His work doesn’t just move you—it transforms you. And for that, I’m endlessly grateful to have witnessed his brilliance up close.