JulBeArt

Interior Designer, Artist Julia Benn - Julia Benn is a celebrated daughter of the arts. She began performing as a little girl, honing artistic skills in stage productions/plays, studying piano, modern, jazz, and Afro-Caribbean dance, while singing in both her church and school choirs. Her easily recognizable talent impressed her primary school teachers, who entered the young virtuoso in a myriad of competitions, including a national handwriting contest where she did her school proudly. At the tender age of eight, Julia made her first trip to New York City, where her interest in the fine arts was sparked. It is from the kaleidoscopic, richly cultural environments of New York City, her native Barbados, and extensive travels that she gets her inspiration and her work is reflective. Julia grew up in a household with her late mom and step-father. Her mother, Junifer was renowned for her sophisticated style and culinary artistry, her step-dad, a master joiner, from whom Julia developed her love and appreciation for bespoke furniture and fine interiors, was very instrumental in Julia choosing the interior design field. Julia also inherited creative genes from her father, Caribbean cultural icon, Dr The Most Honorable Anthony 'Gabby' Carter, and her late grandfather Unis Benn, who was a choir director and agriculturalist. At age nineteen, Julia completed her first interior decorating course at the Barbados Community College. She later went on to further her studies at the American College in London (now called the American Inter-Continental University) and the Sheffield School of Interior Design, (renamed New York Institute of Art and Design) where she received an award of merit for excellence in interior design. She has consulted on Interior Design for the former All-Inclusive Almond Beach Resorts in Barbados and St.Lucia. She also decorated the Almond Beach Club's wedding centre and spa. Julia's design work is eclectic, fusing many different styles ranging from traditional and transitional to contemporary, creating interesting contrasts. Her savvy skills are also beautifully demonstrated in calligraphy, tablescapes, and special event decorating. Julia received her only formal art training at the Alexandra School, Barbados, but is for the most part self-taught. Her paintings and murals are both realistic and abstract and her topics include dance, carnival, and dream-like landscapes. She does several other themes, among them nudes and portraits. Her works are in acrylics, oils, pastels, watercolours, charcoal, and pencil. In 2009, Julia opened The JulBeArt Design Studio and Art Gallery in Speightstown, Barbados. During its four-year history, she featured her works as well as other local artists. The seaside studio housed in a historic 17th-century building was featured in a two-part series on the television program 'Morning Barbados'. It was often visited by countless Barbadian students. Having resided in: Barbados, New York City & London, England, Julia now makes Delaware and Maryland her home. Her hobbies include music, dancing, writing, cooking, organic gardening, and photography. Her work has been featured on CBS Caribbean, CBC TV Barbados, Easy Magazine (Nation Newspaper, Barbados), HGTV IG, Black Girls With Gardens, Caribbean Start-Up magazine, and many other publications. 2021 marks her 30th year in the interior design field!