Darren Whalen

Darren Whalen is interested primarily in painting and drawing. Using a technique of layering acrylics and oils, he paints studies of the human form, but more specifically the skin they wear. The source of his images is often the people close to him and acquaintances. Each piece is an investigation of the individual, and what perhaps makes them unique. The stark backgrounds the figures occupy and the muted colours hint at a sort of cold isolation. In contrast the heavily layered, deliberate brushwork in the flesh gives the figures volume and weight.

His paintings have earned him recognition in events like the 2005 BMO 1st Art Competition when he was chosen to represent Newfoundland and Labrador, and more recently a provincial Arts and Letters Award. After receiving his B.F.A. from Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in 2005, he moved back to his hometown of St. John's where he currently resides.