How can you describe yourself in a few sentences?
It’s not that easy, but let’s try. Living in Zagreb, Croatia. I do consider myself as a seeker… and then as an artist and author with a diverse background that spans from photography, graphic design and writing to publishing.
So, what’s your artistic inspiration?
My inner call or something called creativity has led me to explore a variety of mediums, from photography and capturing the purity of human body and beauty of the world through my lens to graphic design and crafting visually distinctive designs.
Is this all connected with what you do for a living?
I think that should be everyone’s goal, because this is the only way your actual work makes sense and it doesn’t stress you. I run my private company involved in publishing, graphic design and tourism.
In addition to my artistic pursuits, I am also a published author, specializing in books on nutrition, cookbooks and children’s workbooks and picture books.
It’s nice you found the way to combine all of that. So, it seems you can prepare us some nice food.
Yes, I enjoy to cook and experiment with various food styles, prepare dinners for friends and parties and visit interesting places with great food where I usually like to comment and discuss my experience. But, I leave mostly good reviews on Google…
I hope someday you’ll visit my small restaurant and experience it yourself. But be gentle with a reviews.
So, usually we talk here with a models and their work. How do you fit in?
I am not a model in a usual way. I mostly pose for my own camera and sometimes for photographers who are my friends. I recently presented my photography collection of self portraits on my online gallery shop BenVonEric Visual. You can check it out at www.benvoneric.com.
What can we find there?
My original photography work digitaly transformed into wall art and various painting styles. Visitors can buy my art in the form of art prints or mounted canvas. Body Collection consists of self portraits, mostly nudes and Travel Collection consists of landscape photography captured through my lens during my frequent travels from Europe to Africa, Middle East and Asia.
You mentioned that your male body art consists mostly of nudes, what’s your attitude towards human body?
I never had a problem to accept human body and my body as a whole and naked, if you like it that way. There is nothing wrong or vulgar in our body, because this is all we got in a material world and are born like this. Everyone has it. And if someone is ashamed of it, that’s probably their problem. So, beauty of the human body is one of the fundamental artistic inspirations.
Does it have to be perfect?
No, I wouldn’t say it that way. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and it’s not the same for you and for me.
Of course, we accepted some standards of beauty, but they don’t work for everyone. I can only say for myself that it is important to try maintaining fit and healthy body, because in a way it enables your inner being to manifest and present in this world, which is probably why we are here…
It seems like we are heading to much deeper stuff, let’s leave it for the next time – I am sure it will be interesting. Until then check out Ben Von Eric gallery and his socials at:
BenVonEric Visual: www.benvoneric.com
Instagram: @benvoneric
X (Twitter): @benvoneric
