Etta Benjamin Cien (American, 1924-2009), Abstract Composition in Umber and Ebony

Oil on board, signed at lower left, framed.

Frame dimensions 45 1/4 x 33 1/4 in.

Etta Reva Benjamin, née Perkins, was an artist and businesswoman whose creativity and entrepreneurial spirit left a lasting mark on the Los Angeles art community. Alongside her husband, LeRoy Benjamin, she co-created the celebrated vaudeville marionette act "The LeRoy Brothers," performing with legends such as Danny Thomas and Louis Armstrong.

Settling in Hollywood, Etta combined her artistic talents and organizational skills to build Hillside House of Originals, a successful framing store and art gallery that expanded into a nationwide wholesale art business. Later, she helped establish the Burbank Media Center, supporting film editors and ultimately housing Black Entertainment Television.

Etta painted under the names Etta Cien, Etacien Benjamin, and simply Etta. The daughter of an immigrant father, Naftul Parkanskaja from Bendery, Russia, and a Missouri-born mother, Ida, she drew deeply from her multicultural heritage and life experiences. Her expressive paintings explore the intersection of memory, mythology, and the natural world, often weaving together spiritual symbolism, ancestral narratives, and the quiet beauty of everyday life.

Light surface grime; gouge to surface in upper right quadrant; scattered chipping to frame.