Traywick Contemporary is pleased to announce an upcoming exhibition of new works on paper by Benicia Gantner, showcasing her latest exploration into the intersection of the natural world, the human experience, and the built environment. In the new series, Gantner continues her ongoing investigation into the fluid boundaries between organic and manufactured forms, while incorporating a subtle yet profound reflection on the resilience of both the human body and the scarred landscape it inhabits.

Gantner’s long-standing interest in non-representational landscapes serves as the foundation for this body of work, which also introduces new forms that evoke the softness of the human body through organic, stone-like curves. In these works, Gantner reflects on the human condition as both transient and persistently present, acknowledging themes of growth, collapse, and survival—qualities inherent in both personal experience and the world around us.

Known for her fascination with the expressive possibilities of materials, Benicia Gantner’s artistic practice fluidly bridges two and three-dimensional space, offering a dynamic tension between minimalism and exuberance. The push and pull of competing influences—organic versus manufactured, analog versus digital, reductive versus cumulative—culminate in works that resonate with emotional and intellectual clarity. Through her distinctive use of materials and gestures, Gantner’s work speaks to the fraught relationships of contemporary life while offering a glimpse of beauty and possibility in the face of uncertainty.

The inclusion of vinyl and metal leaf introduces an element of preciousness and temporality, further underscoring themes of fragility and resilience. The use of printmaking and collage allows Gantner to explore texture and depth, adding layers of meaning that echo both the personal and universal experience of transformation. The result is a body of work that resonates with the emotional and intellectual complexities, offering a space for reflection, contemplation, and the possibility of growth.

Dream state speaks to the act of becoming, of navigating the spaces between states of being, between collapse and renewal, and between human and natural forces. The works invite viewers to embark on a journey through these hybrid spaces, where the tension between organic and constructed, chaotic and ordered, becomes a site of potential and discovery.

Currently living and working in Marin County, Benicia Gantner has shown extensively since receiving her MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Her work is held in numerous public collections including the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the San Jose Museum of Art, the Crocker Museum, Sacramento, and the US Embassies in Afghanistan and Georgia; as well as in notable corporate collections such as UCSF Hospitals, Fidelity, Visa, Twitter and Charles Schwab. Her most recent public acquisition includes a collection of sculptures now on permanent display in Emeryville, CA. She has been represented by Traywick Contemporary since 1999.