Although Kjell Torriset focused mainly on nudes and figurative compositions in the 1980s and only began developing a more abstract style in the 1990s, he has now been alternating between the two forms for many years and considers the difference between figurative and non-figurative art to be irrelevant. He creates intuitively, and the process is essential, since this is where he makes constant discoveries as the meaning of the images evolves. In our pictorially fragmented and complex world, his works represent a quest for a new visual vocabulary and harmony. His works incorporate all sorts of visuality; a fervent interest in art history, literature, languages and philosophy is revealed, along with his own life experiences, although steering clear of autobiographical references. Some paintings feature short sentences or clusters of words that he himself has composed and had translated into a variety of languages, including Latin, Russian, Japanese, Greek or classical Armenian. Even though we cannot understand all the texts, they should not be retranslated; they still fill their purpose both contents-wise and compositionally. On the whole, they are about eyes, seeing and visions. With sensitive, poetic paintings that often conjure up an inner world, Kjell Torriset demonstrates that even the most subtle imagery can be astonishingly powerful.