Ben Dray

Ben grew up surrounded by art. He spent part of his childhood in Paris, where museums and galleries were part of everyday life.

He studied art at Edith Cowan University in Perth, learning from Robert Juniper and other well-known artists, picking up techniques he still uses today. He later finished his studies at the College of Fine Arts in Sydney.

Ben’s work combines oil painting with silver and gold leaf gilding, a centuries-old technique he uses to catch and reflect light. His optical works draw on the Op Art movement of the 1960s, but also on his long-standing interest in ancient Greek philosophy, particularly the atomism of Democritus and Epicurus.

In Ben’s paintings, each small square or circle works together to build something as nature does. His work is also held by the Nicholas Auvry Gallery in New York.