“through my paintings, i unite and express the unexplainable, indefinite and confusing emotions, from the obscure realm of imagination”
Simon Darling (b. 1988)
Simon Darling was born in 1988 and grew up immersed in the creative world, heavily influenced by his mother, an emerging abstract artist. From a young age, he developed a strong passion for drawing and painting, quickly honing his craft. He is best known for his deep, obscure, and expressive portraits, which have earned him multiple awards and a presence in private collections across Europe, Asia, and the USA.
Through his painting and creative processes, Darling discovered both a sense of solitude and a powerful means of self-expression within the art world. Despite being an art school dropout, he holds a degree in Architectural Technology and Design. He has lectured several art classes, sharing his insights on the fundamentals of artistic philosophy. His studies in advanced psychology and philosophy deeply influence his work, making his art a reflection of these disciplines.
Darling has held numerous solo exhibitions, both domestically and internationally. Most recently, he was honored with the prestigious "Artist of the Future Award" for his outstanding talent and impact in the art world, as well as the "Power of Creativity" award for his creative excellence and innovative achievements. His work has also been recognized in various media and publications, including CAS Book Volume III (2022), CAE Book Volume IV: Contemporary Art of Excellence (2021), and WE Contemporary (2021).
the concept of these works 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.
these works is best described as portraits of complexities of various emotional psychological states highlighted in altered ways, imitating the madness and unknown of everyday life. it is referred to as 'imitated pragmatism', defined as 'a realistic representation of that which is not known on surface. these works is portraying and visualizing the unknown and inner psychological and philosophical states of ourselves, in physical form they imitate the pragmatism and or ideology of our thoughts and emotions which comes alive through the visualization.
the works manipulating the viewer to create confusion, as i try to approach a wide scale of subjects in a multi-layered way, i like 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 piece, each work aims to promote a mix of conflicting feelings and thoughts, to get the audience to dig deep and try to understand these feelings. the ideology is personal growth and development; creating a path for the viewer to reach a part of themselves they don't understand. we can never reach our full potential unless we unlock and discover the deepest and darkest corners of our messed up souls.
with a subtle pseudo-minimalistic approach, i create 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. this 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.