Andrew Benyei

Short Biography

Andrew Benyei was born in Hungary in 1949, and came to Canada during the abortive 1956 uprising against Soviet rule. He developed an early in interest in the arts through sketching and carving. During high school, he taught at the Royal Ontario Museum and various summer camps.

At that time, art was not considered something one did for a living, so Benyei went to university and graduated with an engineering degree and MBA in 1974. He began work in the corporate world, but continued to explore his talent as he attended and graduated from the Ontario College of Art. Eventually, Benyei decided that his art was much more important to him than a corporate career, and in 1990 left his job to concentrate on an artistic career.

His work has been compared to the American, Edward Hopper. In his anecdotal sculpture, Benyei displays an endearing empathy with his subjects, who often reflect the ups and downs of life in the kinds of organizations where he spent much of his career.

Much of his earlier work included paintings (oil, watercolour and acrylic), as well as elegant bronze sculptures. He continues to paint – many of his canvasses show favourite scenes from cottage country and his bronzes now include whimsical Ruben-esque figures, along with those of more aerobic proportions.

Within the short period of eight years, Benyei has earned accolades from critics and art enthusiasts. His work is bought and commissioned by both corporate and private collectors around the world.

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