Robert Bentley was born in Canada in 1975 in Saint John New Brunswick where he spent his childhood until age 12. In his earliest years, he fondly remembers his father working in his workshop, painting and carving, and attributes this to his keen interest in visual expression, where he was given the tools and impetus for further exploration. Emphasizing the importance of learning how to draw the human figure, Robert's first art books were George Bridgeman's guide to drawing from life, various anatomy books, and examples of the work of the Old Masters. He began to copy from these and observe his father among the smells of oil paint, turpentine, and wood.

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His self-education continued through elementary school, and after moving to Nova Scotia, through Junior High and High school. From there he felt compelled to go to Europe to explore and expand his education, and he moved to England to work and study in 1995.

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After continuing his auto-didactic approach for a few years, he was accepted to the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London, where he then studied formally.

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Most of his work involves some form of figurative analysis, informed or inspired by his voracious reading of many other subjects (Theoretical physics, Psychology, Mathematics, Biology, Linguistics, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Chess, Go etc.).

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He has exhibited his work in England, Greece, and Canada, and his work is held in private collections, including the office of the current President of OCAD University in Toronto.