Biography
Benedict Widjaja is a 19-year-old visual artist and mathematics student. Born in 2006 in Perth, Western Australia, he studied at Perth Modern School, graduating in 2023. After receiving a Melbourne National Merit Scholarship, he moved to Melbourne at 17 years old to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in applied mathematics at the University of Melbourne, where he is currently in his third (and final) year.
Transitioning to art, Benedict’s practice is rooted in storytelling and human connection through meaningful projects. With a keen interest in videography as a means of sharing the stories behind his artworks, Benedict created DarKalligraph in 2018 — which has since reached over 200,000 views, and grown into a community of over 2,000 subscribers on YouTube.
In 2022, at 16 years old, Benedict created a portrait of 106-year-old Gordon Ewers, as part of The Centenarian Portrait Project by Teenagers by Embraced, which has since been featured on Network 10’s The Project (2023), 9News Perth (2023), as well as in articles by the Department of Education WA and The POST newspaper.
In 2025, at 18 years old, Benedict was selected to be an artist on the ABC’s inaugural season of Portrait Artist Of The Year AU, which aired from November 2nd, 2025 on ABC TV and ABC iview.
Benedict’s portrait sitters range from family members and close friends to newlywed couples, centenarians, and entertainment personalities, across community arts projects, personal gifts, and private commissions.
Beyond his art and university studies, Benedict is an avid learner of the piano and foreign languages, and maintains a lifelong appreciation for martial arts. He looks forward to continuing to form meaningful connections, and serving others within the community through academics, teaching, and the arts. He is currently based in Melbourne, VIC / Perth, WA.