His
vision is education through art on a global scale. Stephen
is driven by a desire to complete an international
exhibition of 1000 portraits from the world over, painted
by his own hand. This enormous project is ambitious,
but needed at a time when the world is particularly conflicted.
The common thread throughout his work is to show the
beauty
in the human face, and beauty is his universal theme
that ties us all together. All too often indigenous peoples
are pushed to the fringes of modern society. The power
of these vibrant portraits and their public exhibition
helps return the beauty and relevancy of indigenous people
to a genuine level of social and cultural importance, much
to the benefit of us all.
Stephen is founder of Faces of the World, a non-profit
corporation in the United States with a mission of
increasing cultural pride and affirming the importance
of indigenous
cultures. Faces of the World is funded from the sale
of Bennett's paintings, donations and sponsorship.
For more
information go to www.facesoftheworld.net
Stephen shares,"I am a portrait painter because
of my passion for the world's people. My portraits
convey a fusion of my feelings for each subject with
an intuitive
use of color. I intensify them in celebration of that
person's
existence. I hope my portraits reveal that every person
of every race and culture is interconnected, indispensable
and radiant with astonishing beauty."