Starting from research and intense conceptualizing Rikke Darling seeks for the unknown mysteries in life, considering all life forms as basically the same, coming from the same ground material. Looking for the principle of balance in nature, or life generally, she explores the light and the dark sides of this organic process by acknowledging dangers, risks and abysses. She invites the viewer for a journey through inner and outer spaces. There is a demanding appeal in this: to observe the inner and outer worlds more diligently and to bring them into balance again. The macrocosm is reflected by the microcosm, structures outside relate to structures inside. Life forms consist of structures, that life itself is structuring. Life is a process, so is art. As she says: “It’s all about life.”

Emotions are transformed into colours and composition of space, shaping unpredictable forms in her abstract paintings. At the moment of painting the artist is not aware of what is finally going to happen on the canvas, there is a spontaneous element of expression that is special in abstract painting. Going with the flow, exploring the deepest possibilities of visualization. Although this approach is absolutely free, Rikke Darling always does a lot of research before she starts painting. The shapes in her works look very similar to organic cells, and she explains that she is indeed using a microscope for studying cell structures. Impressed by the darker aspects of organic and cellular life, she feels even attracted by the sight of growing cancer cells and finding beauty even there, comparing them to the image of roses. She says that the dark parts belong to life as well and they have to be accepted. This thinking is reflected in her use of colour graduation and shades. Dark parts dissolve into lighter nuances of colour until they finally become white, representing emptiness or the void.