Benjamin Burton (he/him) is a New York City-based costume designer with extensive experience in film, theater, opera, and dance. He holds an MFA in Costume Design from NYU, a BFA in Dramaturgy from the University of Oklahoma, and a union membership with United Scenic Artists Local 829.
Benjamin's love of storytelling began in a rural Ethiopian village where he grew up creating imaginary worlds in the poinsettia bushes and eucalyptus trees. Years later, Benjamin taught himself to knit from a how-to article and unearthed a nascent love for textiles. Design allows him to merge his passions for story and craft, and he has never looked back.
Endlessly fascinated by myth and ritual, Benjamin embraces the absurd and the profound with equal enthusiasm. His favorite projects stretch our ideas of what's possible -- emotionally, politically, and practically.
In addition to his design work, Benjamin has managed productions of every size as an associate and assistant. From basement theater to Broadway, indie shorts to HBO shows, this experience allows Benjamin to scale his designs without compromising their artistic values.
Benjamin is the recipient of the Martin Pakledinaz Memorial Award from the NYU Department of Design, as well as Craft Awards for Costume Design and Production Design from First Run Film Festival.
Outside the studio, Benjamin can usually be found running in Riverside Park or tucked away with his nose in a book. He is currently reading Joseph Campbell's The Masks of God, Ursula K. Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven, and Michel Foucault's Discipline and Punish.