KTcontemporary, together with le cool, are delighted to present Random Specific, a solo show by Kilkenny based artist Danleo, opening on Thursday 12th May 7 - 9pm.
Danleo was born in London in 1984 and returned to Ireland in the early 1990s where he studied Animation and Graphic Design at the Institute of Art Design and Technology, Dun Laoghaire. Using spray paint on canvas but applying it with a paintbrush, danleo has a unique and audacious graphic style, with a visual language all his own. It’s born out of a steady consumption of obscure cultures, music and street level art movements. Inspiration for his work often comes from nature, animals and mythology and he creates wild, visceral worlds that he populates with colourful low lives, omnipresent deities, and animal idols.
Most of his recent work has been centred on the idea of harmony between species and ancient beliefs. “I take a lot of influence from foreign cultures and ideas that may no longer be in practice. Flora and fauna feature heavily in my work but are often painted with a contrasting dark twist. In terms of technique I try to produce pieces that are clean, bold and colourful. The aim is to create work that looks as if it was made using vector software but have actually been painted by hand.”
Danleo draws reference from a wide range of sources, though he owes much of his inherent aesthetic to the cartoons and comic books of his childhood. He builds back-stories to all of his works, researching ideas and deconstructing subjects, paring them down until the final piece becomes an ambiguous personal interpretation, leaving only subtle hints in the titles. “The body of work on display for this exhibition embodies several styles and themes. My interest in mythology is illustrated in pieces such as ‘They Have Bones’, my love for graphics and illustration influenced pieces such as ‘Doves’ or ‘King Conch’ (you can’t beat a bold image on a black background in my opinion). My ongoing appreciation for nature and animals is always a recurring theme in my work - whether it’s trying to highlight the damage we as humans are inflicting in ‘Acid Trees’ or merely taking inspiration from natural beauty in ‘Asian Elephant’. I hope that this exhibition will have something for everyone, whether you’re looking for beauty or gore, a story or a statement.”
Danleo’s work straddles graffiti culture, pop art and graphic illustration and Random Specific presents a significant and confident first step in a distinctive stylistic exploration.
