Born in Auckland in 1971, Darlene Te Young studied Spatial
Design at Unitec, graduating in 1992 with a Diploma in Design. She
has exhibited consistently in Auckland since her graduation,
participating in group shows at Artery and holding solo shows at Te
Taumata Gallery.
Te Young's work is defined by her exploration of the properties
of light and her depiction of colour as a visual form. Drawing
inspiration from influences as diverse as Mark Rothko, Marc Chagall
and Henri Matisse, Te Young builds up her works in a series of
layers, creating a luminosity in her surfaces that is
accentuated by her use of a minimal colour palette.
The sense of a play of light is integral to Te Young's paintings -
be they figurative works or abstract fields of colour - and as a
result her painterly technique explores the range of tones
separating the weight of darkness and the weightlessness of
light.
As Te Young elaborates, 'I mostly create images that borrow from
nature, with a focus on careful blending of line, form, and colour.
Simplicity and harmony are qualities I strive for in my work. What
is omitted is as important as what remains.'