Jackson Junge Gallery is proud to present Forms and horizons, a retrospective exhibition celebrating the work of Benjye Troob. Spanning more than four decades and thousands of miles, Benjye’s artistic journey reflects a lifelong dedication to observation, expression, and the human form. Her work has been exhibited across Chicagoland, Massachusetts and Arizona, earning her a following among collectors across the globe.

Forms and horizons offers a look at Benjye’s evolving practice, tracing her work from the 1990s through the present day. Known for her expressive figure drawings and evocative landscapes, Benjye captures both movement and atmosphere with a distinct sensitivity to color, gesture, and form.

Originally from the New York area, Benjye demonstrated an early commitment to art, attending the Art Students League of New York beginning at age eleven and continuing her studies there throughout her teenage years. She later attended Hunter College in New York City and worked in advertising sales and publishing, one of the few periods in her life when her artistic practice was temporarily paused.

At age 29, Benjye relocated to Chicago, a move that would prove pivotal to her artistic development. After taking a few years off until her young children were school age, she returned to her creative work with renewed focus. She immersed herself in art classes and figure drawing, and later on, painting. Working in charcoal, pastel, and acrylic, Benjye refined her recognizable style at the North Shore Art League and Evanston Art Center.

Encouraged by strong interest from peers and collectors, Benjye began exhibiting her work. This led to gallery representation beginning in 2000, most notably AnamArt Gallery and Lotten Gallery. During this period, she created some of her most celebrated works, including Barhopping and Girl’s Night Out, both of which show her energetic linework and vibrant use of color.

After three decades in Chicago, Benjye and her husband relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona and established a second home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. These environments sparked a shift in her color palette and subject matter. The arid desert landscape of the Southwest informs her use of warm, saturated hues—rich oranges, reds, and purples—while the coastal light and atmosphere of Cape Cod introduce softer yellows, greens, and blues. Her subject matter expanded, from intimate figure studies to regional landscapes, including a celebrated series depicting Cape Cod’s lobstermen, as well as cowboy portraits inspired by the Southwest. Examples of these portrait paintings can be viewed in Forms and horizons.

In conjunction with this retrospective, Benjye unveils a new large-scale painting, Barhopping II. A reimagining of her 2002 pastel drawing Barhopping, this work reflects both the continuity and transformation of her practice. While the original captures a loose, expressionistic energy accentuated by vivid color, Barhopping II introduces more defined figures whose forms merge in a flowing spectrum of color, echoing the approach to color used in her recent landscapes. Benjye reflects, “I’m always changing; the only constant is the figure. I need a figure in front of me.” This continued commitment to the human form, combined with decades of drawing from live models, imbues her work with a sense of movement, structure, and vitality.

Forms and horizons celebrates not only the span of Benjye’s career, but also her continued evolution as an artist; one whose work remains as dynamic and compelling today as it ever was.