Today we’d like to introduce you to Humberto Benitez.
Humberto, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Before I became a visual artist, I was a full-time marketing director for a heavy equipment company. My wife and I, Lissette, had just purchased a house, and she wanted me to paint some small pieces for the kitchen. When they were finished, she took them into a frame/art shop to have them framed. The paintings were noticed by several people, and they asked her who the artist was and whether they were available for purchase.
My wife said to them, “Absolutely!” gave them the price, and came home with $120.00. That night over dinner she discussed with me that I needed to explore my talent. She stated, “Most people are born and leave this earth without developing their passion: they study and work and do things to earn an income. You need to paint from the inside-out.” She asked me to paint for the next month: she would take my paintings to local exhibitions for approval. Much to my surprise, I found myself painting until 2:00, 3:00 in the morning every day.
By developing my passion in painting very early on in my career, I was able to establish my identity as an artist with a particular style. From the very beginning, we created a system of rules and regulations, and have maintained a guideline of business practices to which consistency is paramount. My true guiding light, and the source of it all, is my faith in God. Eighteen years later, I remain self-published and self-represented with a gallery location in the heart of Coral Gables.
Has it been a smooth road?
The Art World is a very complex business. It entails that the artist gives everything of himself. When an artist creates, the artist must be transparent to the public. Each painting that I create is telling an inner story of my past and my present. And it is always up for criticism.
For many artists, the unforeseen challenge of this business is how to create a security for collectors. Another challenge is maintaining your prices consistently even when the “rent” is due: all of the costs that come with building and maintaining a business because this is a business that requires consistent exposure.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
Our business has been around now for eighteen years. My company is a team of three: my wife, Lissette, is our gallery director and my son, Jason, is assistant gallery director. During this time, my work has been collected worldwide. I have permanent installations onboard five ships on Norwegian Cruise Lines and two ships on Oceania Cruises, as well as private corporate collections for Mango’s Tropical Cafe South Beach and Orlando, and many more corporate collections at restaurants and bars across the country. My work is identified by the movement within my pieces. I use spatula and knife, no pre-sketching. My subject matter is drawn from my childhood memories of Cuba.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Miami is a fantastic city to be a part of: due to how wealthy our city is in diversity, we have the chance to experience cultures, culinary expression, and art in unique ways that give Miami it’s spot on the map. For the past 18 years, following the enormous exposure from the creation of Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami and her culture have become a new destination for artistic discovery and expression. Going back to how the art business is reliant on exposure, I can only see Miami becoming a much more formidable city in terms of culture and art as both more and more incredible talent is cultivated here, and the influence of the greater art market continues to cast its gaze our way.
Contact Info:
- Address: 305 Alcazar Avenue, Suite #4, Coral Gables, FL, 33134
- Website: humbertobenitez.com
- Phone: (786) 877-1045
- Email: hbenitezart@aol.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hbenitezart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/H-Benitez-Fine-Art-Gallery-1169419186459488/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hbenitez-fine-art-gallery-coral-gables
Image Credit:
Top Left Image: “Rostro de Mi Cuba II” Acrylic on Canvas
Top Right: “La Comparsa” Acrylic on Canvas
Middle Right: Gallery Team (From Left to Right) Assistant Gallery Director Jason Benitez, Gallery Director Lissette Benitez, and artist Humberto Benitez.
Bottom Left: Artist Humberto Benitez stands beside “Palma, Caña, y Mariposas” Acrylic on Canvas.
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