Your Nightmares are Coming to Life

“I want people to be scared, be thrilled and to enjoy the ride!”

This Halloween, artist Dominic Bennett brings together a body of lockdown artwork in ‘Your Nightmares Are Coming To Life’ – an online exhibition he believes to be his “spookiest, scariest and most thrilling” work to date. Do you dare to find out for yourself?

The exhibition, curated, designed and built by Dominic, with support from artist tutor James Pollitt, features a collection of his drawings, ceramic work, papier-mâché, video tutorials and movie reviews. Along with a musical score produced by Dominic.

Dominic’s creativity knows no bounds, taking influences from numerous sources, from hip hop to The Wind in the Willows. A national lockdown and global pandemic have not stood in the way of his art and almost all the work on display in the exhibition has been produced since March of this year.

You can explore the exhibition for yourself here in ArtSteps, but first we recommend you take a tour with the artist himself.

As the tour reveals ‘Your Nightmares Are Coming To Life’ is Dominic’s response to WWE wrestler, and 16 times World Champion, John Cena, who Dominic believes sold out on his previous hip hop career, after producing rap album ‘You Can’t See Me’ in 2005.

Dominic has been working with Venture Arts since 2013 and in that time has produced a huge body of work in ceramics, photography and illustration. He has received much acclaim for his art, including one of his most popular pieces, the large scale and ever evolving ‘Army of Weasels’, which was exhibited at HOME earlier this year in the Manchester Open Exhibition. After appearing on BBC North West Tonight in May, Dom was approached by Bronzecast, who reproduced one his famous ceramic weasels as a bronze sculpture.

Along with his success in exhibiting his work, Dom’s talents were acknowledged in November of 2018 when he took home a Manchester Culture Award for the prestigious title of ‘Young Creative of the Year’.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see Dominic’s most recent work brought together in this Halloween spectacular.

“Hope you don’t have nightmares. Unless you’re John Cena… “

Venture Arts hosted an online Preview and Q&A with Dominic on Thursday 29th October, 5.30 – 6.30pm.

Visitors are invited to take a tour of the exhibition with Dominic on YouTube, as well as to explore the exhibition for yourself in ArtSteps. 

Happy Halloween!