Sarah Benesh | Ephemeral Expressions
Sarah Benesh graduated from Cornell College in 1989 with B.A. in Art, where her senior thesis featured handmade paper masks, reflecting her lifelong fascination with expressive faces. In 1991, she earned a master's degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Puget Sound. While raising her three children, Sarah stepped away from from creating art, but in recent years she has returned with renewed passion and purpose.
Her current work is deeply personal, shaped by life's challenges and the solace art has provided through difficult times. During her mother's decline from dementia, Sarah turned to art as a way to process grief, loss, and the complexities of life. The pieces in this exhibit represent moment of refuge and reflection, offering a glimpse into the stories that emerge when looking beyond public facades to explore the unseen layers of human experience.
Sarah loves working with old papers - maps, book pages, and other found materials - that carry their own histories, adding depth and character to her work. Anything with a surface she can paint or collage on becomes fair game as she re-imagines and transforms objects into vessels of expression. Based with her husband and three cats in rural Mount Vernon, Iowa, her home serves as a sanctuary for exploration and discovery. Through collage, drawing, and mixed media, Sarah embraces the joy of experimenting with textures, colors, and designs, creating work that reflects her journey and the enduring power of creativity.