Benjamin’s portrait of the poet Hugo Williams was painted in the study of the sitter’s Islington home. Benjamin had been an admirer of Williams’ poetry, especially the Billy’s Rain collection, and Williams agreed to sit for a portrait after they were introduced at a private view in 2014. The judges said: ‘Finely rendered on a small scale, we thought the portrait gave us a strong sense of the presence of the sitter. The painting’s ageless quality is subtly balanced by the appearance of the modern wrist-watch.’ (http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/bp2016/exhibition/prize-winners-entries/third-prize.php)