“Born In Winter Carried By Spring”
The young girls depicted in the innocent yet dramatic paintings of Rachel Bensimon may not look like the artist herself, but that doesn’t make her works any less autobiographical. The New York City-based painter uses art not only as a creative outlet, but also as a therapeutic way to revisit and rebuild her childhood.
“Painting has become a way for me to make sense of those experiences, to remember and sometimes reimagine them from a new perspective,” Bensimon tells My Modern Met. “I try to find beauty in those places where as a child, I might not have seen much of it. Now I see these memories as stories and inspirations I can draw upon to create the paintings I’m making today.”
The girls depicted in her paintings have varying looks and styles—from ornate dresses and blunt haircuts to smeared makeup and tattoos—but they share a common thread. “The young girl represents my inner child—the part of myself that still carries memories and stories from my early life,” Bensimon shares. “Much of my work revisits those moments, not always as they literally happened, but as emotional truths that shaped who I am.”
This ties into her creative process, which Bensimon says usually begins with a feeling, a fragment of a memory, or an image that lingers in her mind. “It’s a mix of intuition and structure, part ritual, part meditation,” she explains. “My paintings tend to evolve over time, and I add new elements as they reveal themselves, often deepening the narrative and symbolism in unexpected ways.” The artist often references photos that she has taken over the years—a testament to her talent beyond oil painting.
Bensimon’s art journey began when she was a little girl, not much older than the subjects of her paintings. “I spent countless hours drawing with colored pencils in front of the television,” she recalls. “It was my safe place, where I felt a deep sense of comfort and joy.”
With a creative drive bubbling within her, the next step in her journey changed her life forever. “I took my first painting class, when I was 8 years old, with a teacher named Mr. Thorn at the local library,” Bensimon shares. “He was wonderfully kind and encouraging. That experience stayed with me as painting became something I would return to again and again throughout my life.”
Her love for oil painting was instant and all-encompassing—down to the smell of turpentine mixed with paint. “What I’ve always loved most about oils is their forgiving nature, the way they stay open long enough to push the paint around, to make subtle changes, to find the right emotion in a gesture or tone before it sets,” the artist says. “The slow-drying quality allows me to build up my paintings in layers, creating a kind of inner light that feels alive.”
While she has explored other materials and forms of art making like collage, encaustic art, and mixed-media art, she describes oil painting as her first love. “It continues to be the most natural and expressive medium for how I want to tell my stories.” And for Bensimon, art is a form of self-expression and a spiritual connection to a deeper part of herself.
“By expressing my own stories and memories on canvas, I hope to create a form of communication that reaches others on an emotional level,” the painter says. “The feelings I explore are deeply personal, but I believe they also touch something universal, experiences of love, loss, wonder, and transformation that connect us all. Ultimately, I hope my paintings evoke a sense of empathy and reflection, an emotional resonance that reminds people how interconnected we truly are as we move through the journey of life together.”
Bensimon’s latest works will be on view at her new exhibition, Portals of Awakening, until November 1 at Copro Gallery in Santa Monica, California. To stay up to date with the artist, follow Rachel Bensimon on Instagram.
Artist Rachel Bensimon makes sense of her childhood through her surreal paintings of young girls.
“Beauty's Illusion”
“Painting has become a way for me to make sense of those experiences, to remember and sometimes reimagine them from a new perspective,” Bensimon says.
“Tethered Souls”
“The young girl represents my inner child—the part of myself that still carries memories and stories from my early life.”
“Mademoiselle X”
Bensimon’s art journey began when she was a little girl, not much older than the subjects of her paintings.
“Doll House Embers”
She describes her creative process as “a mix of intuition and structure, part ritual, part meditation.”
“Shoe Who Folds She Who Burns”
For Bensimon, art is a form of self-expression and a spiritual connection to a deeper part of herself.
“Secret Dancer”
“Ultimately, I hope my paintings evoke a sense of empathy and reflection, an emotional resonance that reminds people how interconnected we truly are as we move through the journey of life together.”
“The Tree Whisperer”
Exhibition Information:
Rachel Bensimon
Portals of Awakening
October 11–November 1
Copro Gallery
2525 Michigan Avenue #T5, Santa Monica, California. United States.
Rachel Bensimon: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Rachel Bensimon. Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.
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