Portraits, conversations, and connection
Step into the studio and experience the evolving series of Pink Armchair Portraits. During his residency at Project 14C in the spring of 2026, artist Ben Fine teamed up with journalist Tris McCall, seeking to expand the project beyond painted portraiture by incorporating the voices and stories of each participant. Together, they interviewed and painted sitters simultaneously, documenting the process on video.
Supported in part by a 2026 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and a 2026 grant from Jersey City Arts & Culture, the series continues to evolve as an ongoing exploration of connection, identity, and our shared human experience.
Alvin Hall
Internationally renowned financial educator, broadcaster, and author Alvin Hall- took a seat in The Pink Armchair Portraits to share memories of his childhood, discuss the lasting emotional impact of gospel music, and reflect on a life lived with curiosity, purpose, and a focus on the future.
Ben Fine "ALVIN HALL", acrylic on canvas, 26" x 26", 2026
ALVIN HALL INTERVIEW
How it started
The Pink Armchair Portrait Project began in 2019, when painter Ben Fine, searching for connection amid the isolation of COVID, spent 18 months creating twelve portraits of friends and family—sometimes separated by plexiglass. First exhibited together in a grid, the portraits generated unexpected visual and emotional resonances, highlighting individuality within a common framework and affirming the resilience and vitality of collective human presence.
The original Pink Armchair Portrait series was exhibited in Washington, D.C. in 2023
Taking it on the road
Since 2023, The Pink Armchair Portraits has evolved into a new iteration: live, expressive portraits created in under seven minutes with a Sharpie marker on a linocut-printed image of the chair. Set up in galleries, studios, and other venues throughout the city, the project invites guests to sit in the iconic pink armchair for a fast, spontaneous portrait experience. Each drawing becomes part of an ever-growing visual archive of the community, capturing individual personalities while celebrating connection, participation, and the shared creative moment.
Olivia Neel
A chance to paint Alice Neel’s grandaughter…
Grant
Deconstruction of the armchair to travel…