Wilo Benet Gallery

Bahia Beach's Nature Through Chef Wilo Benet's lens

Wilo Benet is perhaps better known internationally for his works and accomplishments in the culinary field for the past 30 years. What most people don’t know is his long term passion for photography, which was his first formal education at the Arts Institute of Fort Lauderdale, prior to attending The Culinary Institute of America in New York.

Benet’s return to photography happened by chance, as in 1996 - by fate –  he was asked to take pictures of some of his own dishes for a magazine article. That introduced him to the digital era of photography, one he embraced passionately from that day on.

Other of Benet’s interests indirectly started providing the grounds for what would turn into a full blown passion for Nature Photography, specifically that of photographing birds. It all started with admiring all the bird species in many of the golf courses where he played, to the point where the camera was as important as the clubs for a complete round.

He has traveled extensively during his career, granting him the opportunity to shoot in many places such as Rioja, Spain, Washington State, Aspen, New York, Texas, California, Buenos Aires, Argentina and many of the Caribbean islands, among other destinations. Every time travel is required for culinary purposes his camera travels with him to properly pursue the region’s specific areas of interest.

Upon learning of this hobby, Bahia Beach Resort commissioned Benet to document migrating and resident bird species in order to properly document and catalog the birds for the Audubon Societies’ review and approval as an Audubon approved sanctuary.

He has devoted time to photographing food in its traditional way as well as in a very unique form, which he coined “Gastronomic Impressionism”, using different mediums such as Canvas, Acrylic Paint, Photography and Digital Manipulation and Enhancement in a variety of combinations to produce stunning and colorful renditions of food in a partially abstract proposition.

Benet is the chef and owner of Pikayo, celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, as well as Varita, both located at the Conrad Condado Plaza in San Juan.

In 2009, he stepped into the wine world with his DOBLEÚ wine, made of 100% Tempranillo grapes from the Rioja, Spain region.

In 2007, he launched his cookbook, “Puerto Rico True Flavors”, offering more than 100 recipes, complimented by exceptional photography supervised by him, inviting readers to follow his culinary journey.

Benet’s TV Show dubbed “Sabores de Ensue–o con Wilo Benet” filmed in its entirety in Argentina is currently on the air in Utilisima Channel Fox Latino.  Throughout his career, he has also appeared in more than a dozen of top rated TV shows in Bravo TV, Food Network and the Travel Channel, amongst others.

You can find a sample of his portfolio at www.wilobenet.com