“When I began painting for the exhibition “Farveladen,” I thought of finding an object beyond the “pill blister” (a series of work from my past duo show at Annika Nuttall Gallery in 2022) that could convey the essence of void or the presence of absence.

Through the deliberate exclusion of colours and the presence of empty colour boxes, a temporary dimension emerges, offering a unique perspective on what remains visible. This “farvelade” is an iconic representation often associated with school. 

Initially, I used the phrase „farvelade“ as a metaphor for life. At the beginning of all projects I considered myself highly organized and well prepared, but over time chaos began to prevail. Thus, I aimed to use it as a metaphor for degradation and erosion that occurs over time – from the beginning of school, through mid-term evaluations, and ultimately to the end of a school year. Additionally, the colour scheme of the “farveladen” holds great poetic potential. For instance, one could use a “farvelade” for a “schwarz maler” (black painter) to express a person with a negative view or create a paint box for someone in love, painting everything in pink. Furthermore, it even allows for the representation of climate or political aspects; for example, shifting “red” to “grey” to illustrate the history of the Soviet Union for example or use colour scheme for real temperatures. 

The other triptych with the title „colourwaters“ that symbolize the reversal of the „watercolours“  (you can describe it with the „hole“ and „hill“) points to the opposite side or platform of the “farveladen” where watercolours are mixed before being applied to paper. 

This creative stop-over results in magnificent pools of mixed colours. I have abstracted this concept into larger and more poetic paintings depicting stocks and flows, currents, and new situations. These artworks refer not only to the “farveladen” but also to life and the enchanting coastlines of the North Sea and my context as a Geographer and lover of the North.” – Toninho Dingl.