Simon Darling — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

Biography

SDarling is an multiple award winning artist who grew up being exposed to the creative nature of his mother, who were an emerging abstract artist. In a young age he quickly engaged himself in drawing and painting.
With a passion for creating, building and designing, turning his thoughts and ideas into visual and physical forms, at the age of 14 he found solitude and a way of self-expression through painting while navigating the world of art.
SDarling has held 8 solo exhibitions, and have had his work included in 13 group shows. An artist with international appeal, he is represented in private collections in Europe, Australia, Japan and USA. Latest he has been awarded the prestigious 'Power of Creativity Award' for excellence and recognition of outstanding achievement in innovation and creativity. Furthermore he has been recognized in media and books such as CAE Book Volume IV “Contemporary Art of Excellence Book” 2021, 'We Contemporary' 2021 and 'Collectors Choice Book Vol. 3 China'.

Artist Statement

SDarling is an award winning artist who makes paintings, drawings and mixed media artworks. His work examines the individual and universal interactions found in contemporary portraiture. Startling the audience with simplified and distorted forms. The perception of the detailed impulse, with its raw, immediate, and unflinching emotional depth delivering a confusing characteristic visualization.
Layered, abstracted marks are added to each layer revealing visceral, emotional intensities and depth. By manipulating the viewer to create confusion, he tries to approach a wide scale of subjects in a multi-layered way, likes to involve the viewer in a way that is sometimes physical, emotional and believes in the idea of function following form in a work. With every new piece, the artist leaves us orphaned with a mix of conflicting feelings and thoughts.
With a non-subtle pseudo-minimalistic approach, he often creates several practically identical works, upon which thoughts that have apparently just been developed are manifested: notes are made and then crossed out again, ‘mistakes’ are repeated. His practice provides a set of metaphoric tools for maneuvering with a pseudo-minimalist approach in the sphere of painting: these methodically planned works resound and resonate with visions culled from the deep and dark realm of imagination.