Michael BENISTRY

Michael Benisty is a multi-disciplinary artist based between Miami - New York and Shanghai. Raised in Antwerp, Belgium, he learned the art of crafting diamonds at an early age, where he fostered his creative eye and nimble hands. Michael later put his talents to use working as a freelance hairstylist for European magazines such as MarieClaire, 
Flair, and Cosmopolitan. He settled in New York in 1999, where he opened his hair salon, Benisty Hair.


In 2003 he opened Studio 69, having found a new way of self-expression through photography. Since then, his work has appeared in Architectural Digest, Whitewall, Oyster, Arte, Another Magazine, and Art news.


While working on commercial projects, Benisty discovered how the retouching techniques he used in fashion and art photography could be used to create digital art with a message. He approached his art based on the international political and social issues he witnessed while traveling in South Africa, Israel, India, China, and throughout Europe. In 2007, he completed his first series, "if it disturbs you it's art." He sees his work as a journey of exploration through different themes and materials taken from images in the media to create unique pieces. Benisty intends to awake and provoke a questioning of the world's current state of affairs.


Benisty is currently working on various projects in partnership with Swarovski crystals ...