Artist Reflects on Her Youth in Whimsical Paintings of Young Girls

“Born in winter, carried by spring”

Young girls are depicted in the paintings both innocent and dramatic Rachel Bensimon She may not look like the artist herself, but that doesn’t make her work any less autobiographical. The New York City-based painter uses art not only as a creative outlet, but also as a therapeutic means to revisit and reconstruct her childhood.

“Drawing became a way for me to understand those experiences, remember them, and sometimes reimagine them from a new perspective,” Bensimon tells My Modern Met. “I try to find beauty in those places that I may not have seen much of as a child. Now I see these memories as stories and inspiration that I can draw on to create the paintings I paint today.”

The girls depicted in her paintings have different looks and styles—from frilly dresses and fuzzy haircuts to smeared makeup and tattoos—but they share a common thread. “The little girl represents my inner child—that part of myself that still holds memories and stories from my early life,” Bensimon says. “Most of my work revisits those moments, not always as they literally happened, but as emotional realities that shaped my identity.”

This relates to her creative process, which Bensimon says usually begins with a feeling, a fragment of a memory, or an image that lingers in her mind. “It’s a combination of intuition and structure, part ritual, part meditation,” she explains. “My paintings tend to evolve over time, adding new elements as they reveal themselves, often deepening the narrative and symbolism in unexpected ways.” The artist often refers to photographs she has taken over the years, a testament to her talent that goes beyond oil painting.

Bensimon’s artistic journey began when she was a young child, not much older than the subjects of her paintings. “I spent countless hours drawing with colored pencils in front of the TV,” she recalls. “It was my safe place, where I felt a deep sense of comfort and joy.”

As a creative impulse blossomed within her, the next step in her journey changed her life forever. “I took my first art class when I was eight years old, with a teacher called Mr. Thorne at the local library,” says Bensimon. “He was wonderfully kind and encouraging. That experience stayed with me as drawing became something I would return to again and again throughout my life.”

Her love of oil painting was immediate and all-encompassing, right down to the smell of turpentine mixed with the paint. “What I’ve always loved most about oils is their forgiving nature, the way they stay open long enough to push the paint, make subtle changes, and find the right emotion in a gesture or tone before settling,” says the artist. “The slow-drying quality allows me to build my paintings in layers, creating a kind of interior light that appears alive.”

While she has explored other materials and forms of art such as collage, caustic art, and mixed media art, she describes oil painting as her first love. “It’s still the most natural and expressive medium for how I want to tell my stories.” For Bensimon, art is a form of self-expression and a spiritual connection to a deeper part of herself.

“By expressing my stories and memories on canvas, I hope to create a form of communication that reaches others on an emotional level,” says the painter. “The feelings I explore are deeply personal, but I believe they also touch on something universal, the experiences of love, loss, wonder, and transformation that connect us all. Ultimately, I hope my paintings evoke a sense of empathy and contemplation, an emotional resonance that reminds people how interconnected we truly are as we move through life’s journey together.”

Bensimon’s latest works will be displayed in her new gallery, Gates of Awakeninguntil November 1 at Copro Gallery In Santa Monica, California. To stay up to date with the artist, follow Rachel Bensimon on Instagram.

Artist Rachel Bensimon brings meaning to her childhood through her surreal paintings of young girls.

“The illusion of beauty”

“Drawing became a way for me to understand those experiences, remember them, and sometimes reimagine them from a new perspective,” Bensimon says.

“Bound souls.”

“The little girl represents my inner child – that part of myself that still holds memories and stories from my early life.”

“Mademoiselle X”

Bensimon’s artistic journey began when she was a young child, not much older than the subjects of her paintings.

“Ember Doll House”

She describes her creative process as “a combination of intuition and structure, part ritual, part meditation.”

“The shoe is the one that folds and the one that burns.”

For Bensimon, art is a form of self-expression and a spiritual connection to a deeper part of herself.

“Secret Dancer”

“Ultimately, I hope my paintings evoke a sense of empathy and contemplation, and have an emotional resonance that reminds people how truly connected we are as we move through life’s journey together.”

“The Whispering Tree”

Exhibition information:
Rachel Bensimon
Gates of Awakening
October 11 – November 1
Copro Gallery
2525 Michigan Avenue #T5, Santa Monica, CA. US.

Rachel Bensimon: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met has granted permission to display photographs by Rachel Bensimon. Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.

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