On Vintage Boards, Lou Benesch Conjures the Fantastic World of The Magician

Enter The Magician’s Room, and you’ll encounter a brawny horse with a serpent coiled on its back, a flock of headless birds diving into a central star, and a fluffy white rabbit framed by an unblinking circle of eyes. This surreal, liminal space is the setting for a new body of work by Paris-based Lou Benesch.

On view through August 22 at Hashimoto Contemporary, the solo exhibition takes the tarot’s Magician card as a starting point. Known as a trickster-wizard who connects the heavens and earth, the mysterious figure is primed for movement and change. Benesch translates the Magician’s inclination for action and mysticism into a collection of dreamy works on found and antique materials.

a mystical work by lou benesch featuring a central figure, white furry animal, and flowers
“The Magician’s Room” (2026)

Vintage board games and chalkboards become the aged frames for the artist’s energetic mixed-media compositions, while antique paper holds bold two-dimensional depictions of hybrid creatures and otherworldly happenings. The Magician’s Room melds past and present and spiritual and physical into a fantastic alternate word where dreams and manifestation rule.

If you’re in San Francisco, stop by Hashimoto Contemporary to see the exhibition before it closes on August 22. Otherwise, keep up with Benesch on Instagram.

a mystical work by lou benesch featuring a rabbit encircled in eyes
“Distant Chaos” (2026)
a mystical work by lou benesch featuring birds with eyes on their bodies
“Spirit Compass” (2026)
a mystical work by lou benesch featuring featuring a tree-like structure of pearls with flowers, eyes, doors, and more on each branch
“Flowers” (2026)
a mystical work by lou benesch featuring an ox-like animal and organic shapes emerging from the top
“Awake II” (2026)

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article On Vintage Boards, Lou Benesch Conjures the Fantastic World of The Magician appeared first on Colossal.

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