Benjamin Walls
- Seven International Awards
- Five-time Smithsonian exhibitor
- Two-time Natural History Museum of London exhibitor
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Collectors include Grammy award winners, Fortune 500 CEOs, Hollywood producers, and politicians alike
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A results-oriented environmentalist and community advocate, Benjamin has helped raise over $500,000 for charity.
In 2003, Benjamin left home with a film camera, a backpack, and the near-impossible dream of creating a groundbreaking body of photographic art. As a completely self-taught photographer with very limited funds, the following 18 months became his proving ground. Benjamin traveled more than 30,000 miles on a shoestring budget, spent less than five nights in a hotel room, and rationed his food to save money for film.
In 2005, nearly broke from his travels, Benjamin borrowed money to frame and debut his finished works in three fine art galleries in the Carolinas. He also submitted his best pieces to juried exhibits in some of the world’s most prestigious museums. Less than two years later three of his pieces had won international recognitions; two were hanging in the Smithsonian, and one at the Natural History Museum of London—he was only 23 years old.
Benjamin built upon his critical acclaim and in 2010 opened his first signature gallery in his hometown of Bristol, TN/VA. Two of his new pieces were exhibited at the Smithsonian in 2014, and four pieces were selected as finalists at the Natural History Museum in London in 2015. In 2016, Benjamin’s work was selected for a large-scale solo exhibit at the Tennessee State Museum. The 6000-ft² exhibit inspired the creation of his large-format coffee table book, “Beyond,” which was published in 2017.
All in all, Benjamin has logged over one million miles in pursuit of the perfect image. He has tracked wild tigers from the back of an elephant in the Indian Jungle, explored the Great Barrier Reef by floatplane, and spent countless nights under the stars. Benjamin considers himself a modern artist, a contemporary explorer, and a results-driven conservationist—assisting non-profits in raising over $500,000 since 2010.
When asked why his work has found such solid footing in a sea of photographers and artists, Benjamin says, “Each moment I’m in the field I’m focused on capturing images that inspire. I don’t take photos that simply document what’s there. Instead, I relentlessly pursue moments of art in nature and refuse to settle for anything less.”
THE ART OF ADVENTURE
Benjamin Walls is an environmentalist, acclaimed artist, and conscientious entrepreneur. Walls artwork has received seven international awards and has been displayed in dozens of museums, including five exhibits at the Smithsonian. In 2015, Walls founded WALLSabout Luxury Travel, which offers personalized journeys for small or private groups to Africa. Walls currently serves on the Development Committee for the Jane Goodall Institute, a global community conservation organization.
View Benjamin’s recent exploits by visiting our NEWS PAGE
“Walls’ images prove that the transcendent moments in our own lives weren’t just tricks of our imaginations.”
Benjamin’s images take us beyond simple awareness and call us to consider carefully and even to question what we think we know.
Walls’ images also prove that the transcendent moments in our own lives weren’t just tricks of our imaginations. Somehow, he captures and translates those moments from his own life, validating their existence for everyone. These photographs reinforce our dreams and passions, rekindling some of the wonder and awe that the everyday routines of our lives often rub away. We are reinvigorated by the moments that he offers us—moments of mystery and reflection, certainly—but also moments with an even deeper importance. Walls’ images reassure us of the reality of beauty and possibility. They suggest that we set aside time and observe. They encourage and inspire us to consider the essence of the landscape or the storm or the animal Walls has photographed, and they set a good example. Viewers leave an exhibit of his work with a renewed tendency to notice their own surroundings in greater, more vivid detail. Collectors want to live with his art because it is lovely, but also because it demands something of them while offering a daily reminder that there are myriad elements of nature worth noticing, and beyond just noticing, worth preserving.
Dr. Katie Hoffman