Ben Howe is a contemporary Australian painter. He holds a Masters of fine art degree with distinction from RMIT University.

Known for his scientifically-surreal aesthetic, Howe has developed a method of image making that is at once hyper-realistic yet deeply concerned with the poetics of form and symbolism.

While many of his paintings investigate the rituals of modern life or reference real world events, they are also fused with subconscious echoes and frequently examine ideas relating to inconsistencies of memory and personal history.

Using elements of documentation and a great emphasis on process, Howe's ambiguous paintings are often derived from preliminary explorations in other media such as sculpture or film. He also uses direct portraiture to consider questions of permanence, regeneration and interpretation.

Howe’s artwork is exhibited globally. He has had 23 solo exhibitions and his work has been included in more than 70 group shows. He has been the recipient of residencies and fellowships including the Ucross Foundation, USA 2015, Shangyuan Art Museum, China 2014, and SKAM, Germany 2007.

In 2023 he won the Eureka Prize. He received an Honourable mention in the Beautiful Bizarre art award in 2021 and in 2019, Howe was a finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, and the Lester Prize. He was the winner of the Hill Smith Prize at NotFair in 2017 and has been a finalist in many other awards.

Howe was the winner of the 2024 Richard Lester Prize for Portraiture in the 2024 The Lester Prize exhibition with his work Cartagena Library (2023), an oil on panel measuring 86 x 96 cm. The Cannery Arts Centre and The Lester Prize are excited to exhibit Ben’s prize winning portraiture at the Cannery Arts Centre on a regional tour this June-July, and Ben will be visiting as artist in residence 16th - 23rd June to conduct workshops with school students and community.

Ben says, ‘I always value the opportunity to share my passion for painting and art with new audiences, especially in unique and inspiring locations like Esperance. I'm also an avid traveller, so welcome the chance to experience new places and connect with other creative people.’

‘Sometimes being an artist can be a fairly isolated experience, particularly outside of the major cities, where it’s easy to feel like you're creating in a bit of a vacuum. Since recently relocating to Ballarat, I’ve experienced little of that myself. The Lester Prize regional tour seems to me to be a fantastic opportunity for local artists to see all the portraits, be inspired, introduced to the practices of other artists from around Australia, and perhaps realise that we are more connected than we might think.’

Learn more about Ben Howe here at his website.

Thanks to the generous support of the Mt Burdett Foundation, this exciting regional showcase brings nationally recognised portraiture directly to the people, making high-quality art accessible to the Esperance community and visitors alike – all with free entry. Additional support for the artist in residence engagement was provided by the Esperance Ag Fund, a fund of Fremantle Foundation.

Photo: Ben Howe artist with his artwork ‘Cartagena Library’ the 2024 Richard Lester Prize for Portraiture. Photo by Cassandra Politanski.