Inspired by the feeling of being in love again, the Breathless Series, is an homage to that emotion that most of us as humans feel at one point or another in our lives; that beautiful moment when we gasp for air.

These are just a few examples from the Breathless Series.

All images copyrighted by Flora Cruells Benzal.

Inspired by my various trips to Mexico and all the colorful Lucha Libre masks that I saw hanging on the vendor stalls. These version of the Ghost Babies were an exploration on color, texture, and imagination. 

These are just a few examples from the Lucha Libre Ghost Babies Series.

All images copyrighted by Flora Cruells Benzal.

The Dissolution Series is very personal in nature and it was done as a therapeutic exercise after a heartbreaking divorce. All the pieces are only colored in black, white and red, as those are symbolic colors for marriage, love, death, blood, etc. All the figures have a black tongue sticking out, as a cheeky way to showcase all the lies that are said during all the years that one has been married or in a relationship.
This Series is one of the darkest but most playful pieces that I have done thus far. They allowed me to explore different variations on the same theme and in the process brought some introspection to such a hard time in my life.

These are just a few examples of the Dissolution Series.

All images copyrighted by Flora Cruells Benzal.

Pinheads are smaller versions of the Ghost Babies. They could be considered small explorations as basis for larger down the line pieces. Working on these make me feel playful and free to try anything on them.

These are just a few examples of the Pinhead Series.

All images copyrighted by Flora Cruells Benzal.

The Haniwa are terracotta clay figures that were made for ritual use and buried with the dead as funerary objects during the Kofun period (3rd to 6th centuries AD) in Japan.

The Haniwa Banditos are inspired by my different travels, mainly to Japan and Mexico. I enjoy creating my own mash up version of these pieces, blending some of the rich history and pop culture of the countries that I visit.

These are just a few examples of the Haniwa Banditos.

All images copyrighted by Flora Cruells Benzal

The Doughnut Series was done as an homage to both my dad and my beloved 20 year old cat who I lost in the span of a couple of months. 
The name of the series came from my dad, being a diabetic, whose main weakness were sugary pastries, and the name of my cat: Doughnut.
This series was done as a therapeutic exercise to help me grief these two important losses in my life. 
I find comfort that somehow, these pieces represent all the things I enjoyed while they were around; playing with Doughnut, being with Doughnut, loving Doughnut, etc.

These are just a few examples from the Doughnut Series.

All images copyrighted by Flora Cruells Benzal.

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Inspired by the Freudian theories of the ego, superego and id. Here I am in the middle of my two dualities; that inner voice that tells me "Do it!.. Don't do it!"

These are just a few examples from the Me, Myself & Id Series.

All images copyrighted by Flora Cruells Benzal.

Ghost Babies Rock!

Inspired by old porcelain dolls that have been buried and excavated back to life, ghost babies started as nonsense figures. However, over time, they started connecting onto my  unconscious background, since I do not have any children. I guess you could say that these are my "what ifs"

Scary, or even creepy ghosts are so yesterday. Ghost babies are playful, colorful and silly... and who doesn't love some cool ghost hanging around their house.

All images copyrighted by Flora Cruells Benzal

Mini Selfies are the smallest pieces I make. They are blank canvases for letting my imagination run wild and for trying new ideas that may translate into bigger series of work. I would consider these as sketches for larger pieces.

These are just a few examples of the Mini Selfies Series.

All images copyrighted by Flora Cruells Benzal.

Some older work from previous years.

The Phobia Series was created to explore people's irrational and persistent fear of certain situations, objects, activities, or persons.  

The Chimerical Six explores particular thoughts dealing with childhood fantasies, animal references and imageries of death and after life. All the pieces from this series took names after literary or movie characters.

Here are a few examples from both Series.
All images copyrighted to Flora Cruells Benzal.

Still Life Relics are inspired by mummified (fossilized), old, dug up items that have withstood the test of time. I like the idea of archeological artifacts that have stories behind them. This series provides me with a break from my figurative work at the same time that allows me to explore new ideas and sources of inspiration for my bigger pieces.

All images copyrighted by Flora Cruells Benzal