Ehrling White

Painting Statement

I am interested in the wordless stories and explanations that appear when we look into a picture. A mind fills in the blanks, often differently from moment to moment. I want to explore this creative side of our perception. I minimize relatable information with the intent to stimulate internal dialogues back and forth with the work. This kind of seeing is exciting to me because it can instantly bypass restrictions of logic and language, and become a more open experience. Ultimately, my objective is to make images interesting and appealing enough to become engaged in. In my studio I use automatic painting and drawing techniques, working quickly and freely, with tools I have modified or customized. Paint is layered to create atmospheres and patterns. I try to bring as much music and energy into my practice as I can. Experimental and improvised music is a line that feeds the creation of the work. I also have a landscape painting practice that over time has proven inspirational to abstract image-making.


Ehrling White was born in Alberta, Canada, and grew up in a semi itinerant fashion, mostly in Oregon, in an environment that encouraged creativity and art. He got his painting degree from the Pacific Northwest College of Art, in Portland, way back in the mid-nineties. Near the the turn of the century he moved to Toronto and got a job painting murals, and that is where he lives and works to this day. He is represented in Belgium by Gallery Nostrum. He has shown in the USA, Germany, Belgium, and Canada.