Danuta Bennett
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Expressive Art: Paintings, drawings, and photographic art
Danuta Bennett is a Santa Barbara-based artist known for her evocative abstract, architectural, and figurative art. Blending abstraction and realism, she creates a distinct visual language using acrylics, oils, and pencils. Her minimalistic, often monochromatic palette enhances harmony, while intricate rendering and proportion manipulation evoke uncertainty and duality.
Born in Poland, she emigrated to the U.S. after experiencing the shift from communism, developing a style that merges cultural influences with personal experience. She co-founded the Aeolian Center for Psychotherapy and Creativity, exploring psychology and art. A local art leader, she has served as Vice President of the Santa Barbara Art Association. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is currently displayed at The Illuminations Gallery in Santa Barbara.
Artist Statement
My creative process is intuitive, beginning with realistic forms—landscapes, figures, or architecture—then introducing abstract shapes, textures, and colors to evoke thoughts, memories, and emotions, inviting viewers on their own journey. My evolving inspiration leads me to explore various mediums. Drawing refines intricate lines and rendering, painting allows freedom with texture, light, and color, and photography captures atmosphere through light and perspective. Symbols in my work stem from personal experiences, cultural motifs, and archetypes, reflecting themes of identity, memory, and transformation.