Archibald artist Jason Benjamin dead at 50 in Murrumbidgee River

Award-winning Australian artist Jason Benjamin has been found dead in the Murrumbidgee River, after last being seen on Saturday.

Top Australian artist Jason Benjamin has died.

The award-winning painter was found dead in the Murrumbidgee River on Tuesday after being last seen on Saturday at 8.40pm.

“A man reported missing from Carrathool in the state’s Riverina district has been located deceased,” a NSW Police spokesperson said in a statement.

“The 50-year-old man was reported missing after last being seen in Gordon St on Saturday.

“Officers from Murrumbidgee Police District were notified and following a co-ordinated search of the area yesterday, the body of a man was located in the river about 1.40pm.”

Artist Jason Benjamin with one of his prints at Paddington’s Berkeley Gallery.

Benjamin was regarded as one of our top artists, who was a finalist in the Archibald Prize in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

His painting of late actor Bill Hunter titled Staring down the past won the Archibald Packing Room Prize in 2005.

His other Archibald works have included artist McLean Edwards and musicians Paul Kelly and Tim Rogers.

Tim Olsen, of the famed Olsen Gallery, discovered Benjamin’s talent in the early 1990s.

“Jason was an extremely talented artist,” Olsen said.

“He had a tremendous capacity for understanding the play of light and shade and had a long ability with both the figure and the landscape. Unfortunately like a lot of talented artists, he also had to fight his demons.

“Art can be a very confronting occupation. Every day you go into the studio you have to face yourself. Sometimes it can become all too much. I am very saddened and devastated by the news.”

Nanda/Hobbs’ Ralph Hobbs, the Sydney art dealer who showed Benjamin’s works and took the artist on about a year ago, was gutted by the news.

Hobbs had spoken to Benjamin just last week, when the pair discussed a new exhibition of the artist’s “big sky” paintings.

“We had some pretty big plans,” Hobbs said, adding that Benjamin was in a bad way with drugs when Nanda/Hobbs took him on as a gallery artist. “He came to me pretty rock bottom. I saw something (in his work) that was really interesting. He saw painting as visual poetry. They were love letters, to him.”

Hobbs said Benjamin was a “romantic landscape painter” who became famous very early in his career and had struggled with the pressure that put on him.

When Hobbs visited Benjamin last year, the artist was living in a Coogee boarding house.

Benjamin’s last show with Nanda/Hobbs was just before COVID lockdown last year.

Jason Benjamin’s Archibald painting of Paul Kelly.

Jason Benjamin’s Archibald portrait of Tim Rogers.

Police had been told Benjamin had been living in Coogee with his partner before deciding to travel country NSW.

It is understood he was camping and staying in country towns selling paintings to get by.

With a friend he met in Broken Hill recently, he travelled to Carrathool and was staying at Pinkers Beach campsite.

On Monday morning, the friend notified authorities Benjamin had gone missing. His 2008 red Mitsubishi Triton was found at the campsite.

Late actor Bill Hunter (left) stands with head packer Steve Peters (centre) in front of Jason Benjamin’s the painting which won the 2005 packers' choice prize. (Benjamin stands to the right.)

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner as inquiries into the man’s death continue.

Benjamin was born in Melbourne and spent time in the US and Mexico growing up.

He won the Mosman Art Prizes in 1993, 1994 and 1996.

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Originally published as Archibald artist Jason Benjamin dead at 50 in Murrumbidgee River