The artist and furniture designer/maker, Ben Playle, stencils scenes of urban and rural life on the move. He developed his style whilst living in Kigali, Rwanda, drawing influence from the traditional African designs of the communities in which he lived. Ben moved to New York City in 2016, where he continues to use the medium of spray can art to capture observations of city life.

In Rwanda, Ben had four solo art exhibitions, using the graffiti artist medium of spray cans and stencils. The Cans to Canvas series captures life in the densely populated hills of Rwanda, where the bicycle taxi is the main source of transportation. His work is a familiar sight in galleries in Kigali, with profiles in local media including the East African and Rwandan New Times. The Cans to Canvas collection is now available to buy online through the Diani Beach Art Gallery - but shipping from Mombassa, Kenya so more convenient for those living in East Africa than Europe.

Ben graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University in 1997 with a degree in 3D design, specialising in furniture. From there, he joined a community art group working with local councils and schools in Brighton, England. The Hip Workshop was established shortly after, designing one off pieces and furniture on commission. He has since taken the hip workshop to Swaziland, Ethiopia and Rwanda, countries in which he has lived and worked since 2001. Ben realised his designs by learning to work with wood. Always keen to pass on skills to others, Ben led the ‘Good Wood’ movement in Addis Ababa, training up furniture cooperatives to produce high quality designs for local sale.