Ben Eichert’s artist biography

Ben Eichert is a photographer, writer and performance artist living and working in Kingston, NY. Eichert’s childhood was marked by the abuse, dysfunction, uncertainty and institutionalization they experienced in their adoptive household. The myriad forms of trauma they were subject to in their youth lead to a suicide attempt in 2014. In that inflection point, Eichert’s survival led to the awareness of their calling as an artist. They enrolled in photography and Photoshop courses that taught them how to create portals into their interior world while conveying the complexity of their life thus far. Eichert’s work has allowed them to process the pain, explain the realities of being raised in their adoptive family, explore the African American identity they did not discover until 2018 and even locate their biological family in 2021. Through their work, Eichert addresses racism, the impacts of sexual abuse as a male child and their discovery of their non-binary identity as an adult. Through therapy and personal growth, they have been able to share their work with the public, opening their first solo exhibition at Kingston’s Lace Mill in 2020. Eichert has found that, through their work, they have been able to not only feel empowered but provide healing and catharsis to others who have felt alone in their grief, trauma or their process of self-discovery.

www.beneichert.com