Tim Benson was born in London in 1978.
After attending school in Highgate and Hendon where he showed considerable promise as a draughtsman he undertook an art foundation course at Middlesex University in 1996. In 1998 he earned a place on the fine art degree course at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art. In 1999 he decided to transfer his degree to London and embarked on his second year at The Byam Shaw School of Art in North London. After gaining his fine art honours in June 2001 Tim's potential was immediately spotted by a leading London gallery and his work was included in an exhibition of landscape paintings in September of that year. From there he did not look back and has subsequently shown with some of London's finest galleries. 

Tim has since received recognition with his election as President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 2018. As a practised figurative artist Tim not only creates a distinguishable likeness of a subject but moreover evokes the sitter’s character and mood. He is never satisfied with simple representation, rather concentrating on bringing to his work an emotive and often visceral quality.

Selected Exhibitions, Awards, Publications

Positions of Responsibility

2018 - present    President, Royal Institute of Oil Painters

2016 – present   Exhibitions Committee, Mall Galleries 

2015 – 2017      Director, Diploma in Portraiture, Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea

2013 – 2018      Vice President, Royal Institute of Oil Painters

2012-2013         Royal Institute of Oil Painters Steward, Artists’ General Benevolent Institution

Awards

2019                  Elected member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters

2018                  Elected member of the New English Art Club

2018                  Elected President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters

2017                 ‘The Dartington Crystal Chalice’ for outstanding service to the Royal Institute of Oil Painters - Annual Exhibition, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries

2016                 ‘Alan Gourley Memorial Award’ for the outstanding work in show – Annual Exhibition, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries

2013 ‘Arts Club Charitable Trust Award’ – Annual Exhibition, Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries

2013                  Elected Vice President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters

2011                  Elected Full member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters

2011                  Elected Associate member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters

2010 Second Prize – Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award, Annual Exhibition, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries

2004 Third Prize – Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award, Annual Exhibition, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries

Latest Exhibitions
‘The Seventh View’ - Gallery C24, New York
Contemporary British Portrait Painters ‘Perceptions’  Exhibition - The Space at Cass Art
Annual Exhibition - Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries
Annual Exhibition - New English Art Club, Mall Galleries

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2018                   Visions of Zambia - Mall Galleries
2016                   Faces of Ebola – Mall Galleries
2013                   Solo Exhibition – Highgate Contemporary Art
2012 Small Paintings – Island Fine Arts
2008 East Anglian Landscapes – Highgate Fine Art
2007 British Landscapes – Rafael Valls, Mayfair
2006 Aspects of the Subcontinent – Highgate Fine Art
2003 British Skyscapes – Lauderdale House

Selected Group Exhibitions
2019
The Alexander Collection - Alexander Centre, Faversham
Spring Exhibition - JP Art Gallery, Black Heath
Annual Exhibition - Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries
Annual Exhibition – New English Art Club, Mall Galleries
Discerning Eye Exhibition - Mall Galleries
Annual Exhibition - Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries

2018
Annual Exhibition - Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries
Annual Exhibition - New English Art Club, Mall Galleries
Annual Exhibition - Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries

2017
Annual Exhibition - Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries
‘My Favourite Subject’ - M1 Fine Art, Greenwich
Annual Exhibition - New English Art Club, Mall Galleries
Annual Exhibition - Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries

2016
Annual Exhibition – Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries
‘The ROI paints Greenwich’ - M1 Fine Art, Greenwich
Annual Exhibition – Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries

2015
Annual Exhibition – Royal Institute of oil Painters, Mall Galleries
Annual Exhibition – New English Art Club, Mall Galleries
Portraiture Today – Gibberd Gallery, Harlow
50 Children 50 Artists – The Courtyard, Hoxton
Annual Exhibition – Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries
Group show – CO2 Gallery
Tim Benson and Lachlan Goudie, New Paintings – Mall Galleries
Group show – HayHill Gallery  

2014
Annual Exhibition – Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries
Annual Exhibition – New English Art Club, Mall Galleries
Beyond White Walls – Gallery Argentum
Discerning Eye Exhibition, Mall Galleries
50 Children 50 Artists – Winton Capital
Group Show – McNeill Fine Art
20/21 Art fair, RCA – Highgate Contemporary
Annual Exhibition – Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries
Group show – CO2 Gallery
Little Gems – Mall Galleries
Portraits Today – Milton Gallery, St.Paul’s School

2013
Annual Exhibition – New English Art Club, Mall Galleries
Portraiture Exhibition – Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Annual Exhibition – Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall galleries
Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead Heath, Highgate Contemporary
Annual Exhibition – Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries
Affordable Art Fair, New York – Blue Tomato
Annual Exhibition – Royal Society of British Artists, Mall Galleries

2012
Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead Heath – Highgate Contemporary
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea Park – Panter and Hall
Annual Exhibition – Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries
BP Portrait Award – The National Portrait Gallery
Annual Exhibition – Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries
Group show – Highgate Contemporary

2001 – 2011 Regular exhibitions at galleries throughout the United Kingdom

Media & Press

03/2018              Artists and Illustrators - ‘5 things I’ve learnt’
03/2018              BBC London Radio ‘The Robert Elms Show’ - Guest
02/2018              The Big Issue - ‘At First Sight’
11/2016              London Live - Interview for ‘Faces of Ebola’
11/2016              The Independent - ‘One year after Sierra Leone was declared Ebola-free,           award winning artist Tim Benson presents ‘Faces of Ebola’
02/2016              BBC Local Radio - Interview about portrait commissions
11/2014              Artists and Illustrators magazine – Guest columnist
03/2014              The Artist – Guest columnist
09/2012 Artists and Illustrators – Guest columnist
10/2011 The Artist – Guest columnist
07/2011 Dynamic portraits in Oil with Tim Benson AROI – DVD, TownHouse Films