Benjamin Tanis’s “BOI” and Why Supporting Young Artists Matters

Written on November 6, 2025 at 8:06 pm by Michael Strollo

Walking into the Tampa Museum of Art’s CTRL+Art+Create: Student Exhibition 2025, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The show, organized by the Museum’s Youth Council, features middle and high school artists from Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties. Nearly 200 works were submitted, and only a fraction were selected. What I found wasn’t just a student exhibition. It was a glimpse into the next generation of contemporary art.

Among the many impressive works, one painting immediately caught my attention: "BOI" by Benjamin Tanis. At first glance it appears simple, a red profile angled upward against a green-yellow background. The longer you look, the more it reveals. The tension between those two colors, the heat of red against the uneasy calm of green, creates a visual electricity. The face’s upward gaze suggests longing, hope, and confrontation all at once. There's something about its directness that refuses to let you look away.

The contrast between red and green achieves both harmony and conflict, vitality and unease. Red speaks of passion, energy, and identity, while green suggests growth and restlessness. The upward angle of the head and its shadowed modeling lend the figure drama and introspection, as if the subject is caught between rebellion and revelation. The graffiti-like text “BOI” adds an urban, contemporary edge that feels both current and timeless, reflecting on identity, masculinity, and self-definition with humor and defiance. The upward tilt reads as aspiration, resistance, or even prayer, an image that feels alive, engaging both the personal and the cultural.

Benjamin Tanis, Boi, Oil pastel layered on acrylic

Tanis’s choice to layer oil pastel over acrylic gives the surface a physical texture and emotional immediacy. The visible strokes, sometimes rough, sometimes tender, give it a performative energy, every mark carrying intention. While the background could benefit from greater tonal variation or layering for depth, the work succeeds in communicating feeling through materiality. The cropped composition and diagonal gaze pull the viewer into the frame. The title floating above becomes almost conversational, like a thought captured midair. The simplicity of the design amplifies its emotional power, with no distractions, only color, form, and voice.

From a professional perspective, "BOI" stands out not for technical perfection, but for its clarity of intent. Tanis's choices feel deliberate, rooted in expressionism rather than realism. His approach recalls the urgency of Basquiat, the spirituality of Purvis Young, and the psychological distortion of George Condo. It's part of a lineage of artists who transform emotion into structure and personal truth into visual language.

I would score the painting as follows: Technical Execution: 7.5/10; Conceptual Strength: 9/10; Composition and Balance: 8/10. It is visually bold, emotionally authentic, and culturally relevant, a combination not easily achieved at any stage of a career. Overall, "BOI" earns an 8.5 out of 10 for its strength, originality, and expressive power. It's a confident work from an emerging artist who clearly understands how to translate feeling into form. It's the kind of painting that lingers in your mind long after you have left the gallery. Tanis demonstrates both confidence and curiosity, two traits that define every great artist in their early years.

What makes CTRL+Art+Create so special is that it gives students exactly what every artist deserves: a professional, inclusive platform to share their vision. Exhibitions like this help young creatives understand that art is not just about skill. It's about perspective, emotion, and courage. Supporting young artists is one of the most meaningful investments any community can make. When you give students real gallery exposure, professional framing, and public validation, you're doing more than showcasing art. You're cultivating the creative future of a region.

Supporting programs like this is not charity. It's legacy. The next generation of artists will define how Tampa Bay tells its story through color, texture, emotion, and truth. Benjamin Tanis's "BOI" earned my vote not just because it's compelling, but because it represents what art education and opportunity can create: a voice, a vision, and the courage to share it.