Born in 1969 in Lisbon, Portugal, from Spanish and French cultures, Gonzalo Bénard soon start spending his life in museums and art galleries by his father's hand. Having classes while teenager with some masters of fine arts like sculpture, painting, photography, ceramic, design and drawing, he soon developed his eye-mind-hand and the need of creating become vital.

After finishing his studies, Bénard started working in art galleries and cultural centres like the Cultural Centre of Belém, the main one in Lisbon, or coordinating the editorial of the Portuguese representation in Venice Biennial in 1995, invited by the Minister of Culture who gave Bénard a public honour for his work.

G. Bénard went then to Himalayas to spend some time studying in school monasteries of painting and philosophy (Nepal/Tibet).

Back in Portugal, in 2000, Bénard started then exhibiting his paintings and drawings worldwide, from Lisbon to L.A. (see CV), while being awarded several times in national and international contests, with his drawings or photographs.

He then moved to Barcelona, in 2002, where he started using photography as his main medium of creating. With more exhibitions, in London, Barcelona, Lisbon, etc, Bénard moved in 2012 to Paris where he now lives and works.

Sometimes still using his first Camera, an Asahi Pentax that he used for his very first solo show in an art gallery, with 13yo, (Galeria Quadrum) in Lisbon, he now mostly shoot in digital, being always an innovator in mediums, using also webcams or satellite connections.

Now, Gonzalo Bénard's artworks can be seen worldwide in private and public art-collections as for example PT Comunications or Serralves Foundation, or published in several art blogs and art magazines such as EYEMAZING or Gestalten editions, having also 2 more books published as author's editions on Blurb.

"Creating. Dialogue. Oneness. Humankind. Nature. Life. and Human Non-Sense.

These words are those that crop up most in G.Bénard's mind-bank, in both his consciousness and his subconscious. Creating is the result of the need to express. The need to express through art and to create a dialogue between living beings; to lead to the oneness of humans and their surroundings.  Man-Woman-Animal. Dialogue leading to oneness of gender, ritual, rite. Dialogue about life. Dialogue as creator, as observer, as author, as part of oneness. Part of the world. Part of life.

When writing, painting and drawing were no longer fulfilling Gonzalo Bénard as a creator, photography came unexpectedly into his life. Gonzalo let it come so his expression could flow, his creativity could come out pre-digested. Playing with light and feelings, cultures and people, without distracting colours, backgrounds or clothing.

Often using himself as part of the oneness, being in front and behind the camera, gives him a better sense of the dialogue. Gonzalo Bénard can create and be involved in the rituals and cultures of life. As oneness. As nature. As light itself.

Gonzalo Bénard is a creator of human portraits. Is a creator of portraits of persons. In the black. And in the white."