You notice Eddy Bennett’s work before you understand how he makes it. You see gold that looks almost liquid, letters that glow, and paint that seems to float under glass. Then you realise everything has been done in reverse. He paints each detail on the back of the glass and builds the artwork from front to back. When you turn it around, the final image appears as one clean, precise surface. It feels simple at first glance, but you know it isn’t. Nothing about this process is easy.
Bennett is a contemporary artist based in Brighton. He works with glass, enamel paint, 23-karat gold leaf, acid etching and mother-of-pearl. He uses these materials to update Victorian sign-writing and turn it into modern art that still carries the weight of old craft. You see bold type, vintage-inspired shapes and the energy of pop art. You also see the sharp discipline of a hand that refuses shortcuts.
He starts with a drawing. Sometimes it is a word, sometimes a short phrase, sometimes a name. He surrounds it with flourishes and shapes that feel like they belong on a shop window from another century. Then he turns to the glass. Every highlight comes first. Every shadow, every curve, every painted stroke happens in reverse order. He finishes with the background. When he places the sheet upright, the artwork becomes a clean, polished piece with depth and shine.
He works slowly and with intention. One artwork takes weeks of layering, drying and checking. He prepares a gelatine solution by hand to apply gold leaf the traditional way. The gold sits on the glass like a mirror. When you move, the surface moves with you. The effect is simple to understand but impossible to ignore.
His studio in Brighton shows the reality behind the shine. You see jars of enamel paint, sheets of gold leaf, brushes, boards, paper and tools everywhere. He works in this space until the glass feels finished. He often says his studio looks chaotic, and he means it. But the finished pieces never show that chaos. They carry calm, clarity and control.
Bennett’s story started far from Brighton. He grew up in Southeast Cornwall, in a place people call the “Forgotten Corner.” He spent his teen years crossing by ferry to Plymouth to study art and design. In 2009, he moved to London to study illustration at London Metropolitan University. That was where he fell in love with stylised typography and vintage ephemera. After graduating in 2012, he worked as a freelance illustrator. Then one interview changed everything. He read a feature in Juxtapoz Magazine about Jeff Canham, who moved from illustration to sign painting. Bennett saw a path he wanted to follow.
He became a full-time sign-writer in London. Clients trusted him with their shopfronts and installations because his lines were clean and precise. He worked with brands like Adidas, Ennismore and Red Wing Shoes. He enjoyed the work, but he wanted something more personal. In 2016, he tried gold leaf on glass. He understood the process from his sign-writing work, but he saw new possibilities. He saw a medium that held history, depth and beauty. He stayed with it.
He now focuses on original artworks on glass. Every piece is painted by hand. Every detail is done without shortcuts. His process is slow, but the results speak for themselves. Collectors around the world buy his originals through galleries like Enter Gallery in Brighton, Electric Gallery in London, Chappell Gallery in Kent and Startle Gallery in Norfolk. His limited-edition prints also sell out often. He prefers premium materials even in print form and works with Harwood King to keep his editions sharp and clean. He likes using diamond dust as a final layer on some prints because of the subtle glow it creates. He also uses flatbed printing onto glass when he wants an edition that feels closer to his originals.
He signs and prepares his prints at Harwood King because the space is clean and controlled. He can move through the signing process in one go and pack everything neatly. This helps him keep order in a way his main studio can’t.
If you visit his Brighton studio, you’ll see the contrast. The space is quiet but full of tools, materials and works in progress. You watch him apply gold leaf with a steady hand. You see him check small details under the glass, sometimes more than once. You hear the soft sound of a brush or the slow lift of a sheet of gold. You understand right away that nothing about this work is quick. He uses techniques many people no longer learn. He respects the patience they demand.
You also notice something else. His work feels alive because of the tension between past and present. You see Victorian craft, but you also see modern attitude. You see delicate shapes, but you also see bold, graphic choices. Nothing feels nostalgic. Nothing feels old. You feel history, but you don’t feel stuck in it. His art shows how craft can survive when someone respects the rules and still pushes them forward.
You look at one of his finished pieces and see depth that doesn’t come from paint alone. The glass surface reflects your face and the room behind you. The gold brightens as you move. The etched lines and painted strokes shift with the light. You don’t just see the work. You see yourself inside it.
That is the core of Bennett’s practice. He pays attention to the act of seeing. He uses glass because it forces you to look through something, not just at it. He uses gold because it changes with every shift in light. He uses enamel because it holds colour with strength. He uses Victorian craft because it gives weight to the present moment.
When you stand in front of his work, you see the effort of the past and the energy of now. You see patience, precision and clarity. You see a craft that survived through the hands of someone who refused to let it disappear.
And you walk away knowing one thing: he didn’t just make the artwork. He built it, one careful layer at a time, from the other side of the glass.
Eddy Bennett
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Hello art lovers. My name is Deepak Mehla, and I’m from Karnal, India. I enjoy reading stories about people’s struggles and how they overcome them. These motivational stories work like a source of energy for me.
Although Arttellers is completely different from my original vision, I, too, am going through a challenging phase in life. To keep myself busy and to hold on to hope, I share stories of artists with all of you. I believe these stories will give you a new direction, just as they inspire me.
Arttellers exists because I want to share how some people turn the work they love into their livelihood, and how choosing their passion leads them to success. I started Arttellers to keep my own hope alive and to help you discover people whose journeys might inspire you too.