Benjamin Wachenje (‘Bro Ben’) grew up in Harlow, on the northern outskirts of London. From an early age he was drawn to spray-can graffiti art and hip-hop culture, especially influenced by the music videos and street-style expression of the time. He studied a joint honours degree (Fine Art and Graphic Design) at the Camberwell College of Arts (part of the University of the Arts London) in the mid-1990s, learning analogue techniques including cut-and-paste, Letraset and gouache at a time before digital design was ubiquitous. Following his graduation, Benjamin was awarded artist in residence at Bedford Hill Gallery, where his first solo exhibition, ‘Open Mic’, was a series of portraits documenting underground British hip-hop artists.

Always aware of current trends, he has spoken about how early access to digital tools, including his first Mac in 1997, helped him translate analogue collage and hand-crafted typography into digital illustration, which has become his speciality. The Benjamin Wachenje Studio is now a multi-disciplinary media company. As well as every aspect of digital graphic design spanning twenty years of experience as an illustrator and designer, Wachenje has been making films since 2012. His studio regularly works with small businesses trying to establish themselves and stand out in the competitive marketplace as well as firmly established multi-national brands.

In recent years Ben has worked for prominent media outlets and lifestyle publications including The Guardian, The Independent, Newsweek, Rolling Stone and Time. His commercially commissioned work includes campaigns for brands such as Nike, Levi, Timberland, Toyota, Microsoft, Virgin Atlantic, SNCF, Columbia Records and Rockstar Games.

Benjamin Wachenje’s website can be found here.