Painting Alumnus James Benjamin Franklin Debuts Solo Exhibition “Visitor” in Savannah
James Benjamin Franklin, Call, 2025. Acrylic, fabric, plaster, mica, and epoxy on extruded polystyrene. 67.25 x 72.75 x 3.25 in
Cranbrook Academy of Art alumnus James Benjamin Franklin (MFA Painting 2017) is currently presenting a solo exhibition titled “Visitor” at Laney Contemporary in Savannah, Georgia. The show, on view from June 27 through September 27, 2025, marks Franklin’s first presentation in Savannah and features 16 new mixed-media works.
In this exhibition, Franklin employs repurposed textiles—including blankets, towels, afghans, and other found fabrics—as unconventional canvases. His tactile surfaces are punctuated with layers of acrylic paint, sand, and glitter, creating richly textured, sensorial compositions. Each piece is housed in a handcrafted plaster-molded frame with unique geometry, bringing together thread, color, and form in unexpected ways.
Franklin’s artistic philosophy, rooted in a practice of experimentation and discovery, emphasizes the narrative conveyed through the materials and processes of artmaking. His works invite viewers into a shared experience of creation, where textures and stories build over time.
A native of Tacoma, Washington, Franklin now works in Detroit. His work has been featured at institutions such as the Cranbrook Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, FRONT International, and has received recent recognition for its materiality and conceptual depth.
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