Benner was born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, surrounded by a close family and a great group of friends, which plays an integral role in his art. Despite attending Catholic school most of his life and receiving very little education related to art, it was always his passion. He attended a public high school where he explored art in an educational environment. Throughout his high school career, he experimented with a wide variety of art, and competed in competitions. A majority of Benner’s artwork is portraiture and his main mediums are charcoal, graphite, pastel, acrylic, and oil paint. The people he paints are all people he’s known for long periods of time or who are currently a major part in his life. His art is a representation of himself.
Benner's artwork stems from experiences throughout his life and the people with whom he surrounds himself with. Art is his method of self-exploration. Creating art is him asking himself who he is and reflecting on why. As a result, his work is primarily portraiture and old memories. Benner's art is honest and genuine. The work he creates consists of himself, friends, family, and experiences. He believes the person he has become is due to the people around him and his past. Benner's life was continuously changing and he relied on his relations with others and unique memories to keep him grounded. When he paints a portrait of someone or an experience he's had, he is painting himself. Each individual Benner chooses to have in his life and past actions are all different parts of himself.