A series of plant portraits sparked by the folkloric history of Mandrakes and continued on as an exploration of other plant species gaining consciousness and freedom of movement.

With inspirations that orbit centuries from ancient Indigenous pottery to Moai statues to Land Art, Halfmoon interrogates the intersection of tradition, history, gender, and personal experience.

From wordplay with the actual letters that comprise “BLACK,” to utilizing the expanse of shades of black house paint—including as Nightfall, Soot, Ebony Field, and Black Beauty—to posing the question, “If the color black had a sound, what would it be?,” Benjamin calls attention to the color’s deep historical and social resonance.

A series of plant portraits sparked by the folkloric history of Mandrakes and continued on as an exploration of other plant species gaining consciousness and freedom of movement.