UP, DOWN & ALL AROUND​

Born and raised in Spring Valley, California, Ben Cavalcanti began his artistic journey at a young age, captivated by cryptic graffiti that adorned freeway underpasses, dumpsters, and ditches. These urban canvases ignited a lifelong fascination with visual storytelling through letters and images.

Immersed in San Diego’s graffiti scene, Ben painted hundreds of pieces across California and beyond, developing a unique style grounded in bold typography, color, composition, and character. This passion for street art naturally evolved into a career in graphic design, where years of mastering the art of letter spacing and form paid off. Yet, a growing disillusionment with commercialism pushed him back towards his true calling: fine art & music.

After leaving the design industry, Ben pursued formal studies at the San Francisco Art Institute. This pivotal period marked the beginning of a broader exploration of art and life, leading to work in galleries, launching an art business crafting handmade goods, starting a family, and even living in an ashram. His adventures spanned the globe, from Hawaii to Europe, to Southeast Asia and across the Americas, with experiences ranging from real estate ventures to caregiving, spiritual, psychological and cultural studies, and even providing transport for people with special needs.

Through it all, art, music and design remained a constant thread. Now, based in Portland, Oregon, Ben enters a new chapter with a revived passion for graphic design, art and music and is commitment to sharing his unique perspective and skills with the world. As we enter 2025, he is poised to create, evolve, and connect through his ever-evolving artistic expression.

1997

AA Graphic Design – San Diego City College

1997-2002

• Graphic Designer at Various firms in San Diego & the Bay Area
• Backpacked through Europe, traaveled acrossed the USA and visited Japan

2002-2008

• Returned to San Diego to study fine art at San Diego Mesa College
• Moved back up to the Bay area in 2005 to attend the San Francisco Art Institute – Graduated 2008

2008-2013

• Moved to Portland, Oregon and started a family & art business
• Joined an ashram and studied Advaita Vedanta
• Traveled through South America

2013-2018

• Started exploring real estate, remodeling, land-lording
• Caregiving for my father with dementia

2018-2022

• Opened an art gallery space downtown Portland, Oregon
• Moved part-time to Hawaii
• Traveled through Southeast Asia

2022-2024

• Returned to Oregon full-time
• Worked on various freelance design projects
• Drove a school bus
• Explored Web3 Gaming

2024-Present

• Living in Portland, Oregon
• Working on UI/Web/Graphic Design for a Web3 gaming studio
• Acquired a creative space to make art, music & design at the East Creative Collective
• Building a music group

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