Alexander Kroll was born in New York, USA; he has worked and lives in Los Angeles and London. Much like the modern metropolises he has inhabited, Kroll's works exhibit a distinctive complexity and improvisational quality. Through his exploration of visual language, the interplay of line and form, shape and color, space and time, Kroll infuses intelligent and clever arrangements into the artwork to achieve a precarious harmony.

In Kroll's artwork, the audience will experience a delicate sense of balance: The layers of oil paint overlap each other to form planes, flowing gracefully, expanding viewers' visual experiences. Within the boundaries of light and shadow, new spaces slowly emerge, offering different spatial depths throughout the image — some contracting inward, some extending outward. Parts of the adjacent spaces exhibit strong conflicting sensations, while others coexist harmoniously. Creating such visual effects and spatial sensations is Kroll's expertise. As he stated, "I never think about the style of art. I create art from the perspective of structure and space. "The debate of abstraction or representation is not his focus, nor would it be useful to associate Kroll's works with a specific genre or style. The true essence of his works lies in the process of creation. The final artwork reveals his creative process. Abstracted portraits, objects, and illusions are interwoven and juxtaposed within specific spaces. These spatial structures may derive from dreamlike fantasies or encompass the artist's unique contemplation of urban spaces. How does the image extend in terms of color? How do spaces of different natures shape the spiritual world and the ground beneath our feet? His artwork delves into these ancient yet fresh questions, creating a dynamic interactive relationship between the artist, the canvas, and the viewer.

Kroll's creative process involves contemplating history, philosophy, and reality, seeking a balance between control and contingency. Unbound by rules or logic, he maintains the integrity of the painting process and its results. Concrete images and patterns intertwine and layer upon one another on the canvas, sometimes clearly visible, sometimes elusive. Through this disruptive method of construction, Kroll explores various forms of artistic expression where distinct, independent entities merge into new ones (Hybrid), thereby pushing the boundaries of abstract art. In his creative process, the completion of one work often triggers the beginning of another, and this dynamic energy of continuity gives his works both personal and universal characteristics. Confronting Kroll's paintings is akin to facing the many unknown and uncertain elements in life; perhaps this uncertainty and complexity are the essence of the world.

Text: Xuan Xu