Bryant Benoit, a Lafayette visual artist known for work that explores the African diaspora and Louisiana experience, has died.
Benoit, who reports indicate was in his mid-50s, worked primarily in collage and documented the area’s Creole and Black culture, highlighting layers of emotion and authentic experience in his finely detailed pieces.
His death was announced on Monday, Jan. 21 by Creole Culture, an organization that he partnered with last year to create the first artwork for Creole Culture Day. According to Creole Culture Day co-founder Milton Arceneaux, Benoit was “a friend, a culture bearer, and one of the few people the community relied on to represent Creole culture authentically and unapologetically.”
“While he was a globally recognized visual artist, he never separated recognition from responsibility. And he never strayed from community. He showed the culture as it was — with pride, intention, and truth,” Arceneaux wrote.
“His paintings were full of color, culture, and attention to detail. No matter how many times you saw one of his pieces, it always felt like seeing something new. Especially in his mixed-media work, each viewing revealed another layer, another story waiting to be noticed.”
Some of the art work by Bryant Benoit at Benoit Art Gallery on Thursday, October 31, 2019 in Lafayette, La.. Benoit Art Gallery and The Black Element are coming together for one store front at 535 Jefferson St.
Benoit started his career in construction after studying architecture at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He began working as a visual artist around 2009, and transitioned full time to creating pieces that were sought by collectors and frequently displayed in his hometown and beyond.
In 2018, he was commissioned by the African American History Foundation to create their first commemorative poster, “Let Freedom Ring,” and one of his pieces can be seen on an ArtBox in the McComb-Veazy neighborhood of Lafayette, in a piece called “Livin’ on the Land” at the corner of Pinhook and Surrey Streets. A Benoit piece called “Louisiana Sugar Mill” can also be viewed in Youngsville, in the Youngsville Sports Complex.
As a 2024 ArtSpark grant recipient with Acadiana Center for the Arts and the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, Benoit received a grant to create a series of portraits of influential Black leaders and cultural pioneers. “Bryant documented Creole culture through a truly unique lens,” the Acadiana Center for the Arts shared on Facebook at the news of his passing.
Benoit Gallery operated in downtown Lafayette until 2020, and is currently located at 1402 N. University Ave. Open by appointment only, the space displays Benoit’s immense range of art and is managed by the artist’s wife, Joey Benoit.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.theadvocate.com ’
