Ben Zion

Ben-Zion Weinman, known simply as Ben-Zion, was a Ukrainian-American artist born on July 8, 1897, in Staryi Kostyantyniv, Ukraine. Initially aspiring to become a rabbi, Ben-Zion eventually shifted his focus to art, emigrating to the United States in 1920. He became deeply involved in the Hebrew and Yiddish literary communities in New York, teaching and writing poetry, dramas, and fairytales. His disillusionment with language due to its manipulation during World War II led him to express himself primarily through painting​.

In the mid-1930s, Ben-Zion co-founded “The Ten,” a group of expressionist painters in New York City that included notable artists like Mark Rothko and Adolph Gottlieb. This group opposed the prevailing academic and conservative art styles of the time. Ben-Zion’s work often drew on biblical themes, infused with his personal interpretive style, which brought a spiritual dimension to his art​ .

Throughout his career, Ben-Zion’s art was showcased in major galleries and museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Jewish Museum in New York, where he had a significant retrospective in 1959. He also worked with welded iron sculptures starting in the 1950s and taught at institutions such as Cooper Union and Ball State University.

Ben-Zion’s legacy includes a prolific body of work that continues to be celebrated and exhibited posthumously. He passed away on January 23, 1987, in New York City.

Website: https://www.benzionfinearts.com/