A Decade in Art: 10-Year Anniversary!

Day 1

Has it really been ten years as a professional artist? In 2015, I started my first art school. Before that, I worked as a tattoo artist but I felt creatively stuck — repeating myself and doing only custom work. A colleague encouraged me to apply to art school so I did and was accepted a few weeks later.

The school offered two semesters: sculpting, figure drawing, art history, and more. It ended with a three-week free project where we could create anything we wanted — the starting point of my career. Around the same time, I came across quantum physics. I barely knew Newtonian physics, yet the quantum world felt magical and astonishing.

Quantum Art

Quantum states could teleport, exchange information beyond space and time, and reveal that our visible world is only a fraction of reality. I wanted to interpret quantum physics visually. Since I knew little, I reached out to AlbaNova, Stockholm University and KTH’s joint center for quantum research. Wallenberg-Stiftelsen had just donated a substantial sum to bring top professors to Sweden, so the timing was perfect and my project became my full time occupation for the next three years.

The Quantum Art Project was born. The idea was to spread science through art. I interviewed students and professors about the history and frontiers of quantum physics. My paintings were approved by experts before the exhibition, ensuring I understood both theory and practice. I had one foot in the academic world and one in the art world, just as the word quantum began appearing in popular culture.

The project gained recognition

internationally, exhibited in multiple countries, and resonated with both scientific and artistic communities. Yet, the intensity of studying complex concepts took its toll. By the time it reached it's peak exposure, I was experiencing a severe depression. The Quantum Art Project concluded not with fanfare, but as a turning point — ending one chapter and opening another, where curiosity shifted from the theoretical to instinctive expression.

Enter Life Project

By 2017/18, my focus turned to biology, sustainability, and the environment. I explored aquaponics — small-scale ecosystems mirroring our planet — transforming my apartment into a laboratory.

Enter Life became a living art project: beautiful, functional, edible, and eco-friendly. It wasn’t a commercial success, but it became one of the most meaningful projects I’ve done. The experimentation taught me how life thrives and how creating the right environment gives organisms a foundation for growth. I realized that my body is an entire ecosystem too. After years in sports and coaching, I had never applied true health principles to myself. I used the same blueprint on my self as for my installation.

Sunlight = Energy

Nutrition = Fuel

Resistance = Exercise

Symbiosis = Social/Connection

Darkness = Recovery

Through this, I built a sustainable environment for mind and body, slowly healing and beating my depression.

Dry Pastel Era - Happy, hungry and strong!

By 2019/20, I needed full creative freedom. Science-driven projects had drained me, so I returned to instinctive creation — just as a child would, with paper and pen. This began my dry pastel era.

During a figure drawing class, bored with charcoal, I picked up a purple dry pastel on brown paper. The first stroke was electrifying — smooth, vibrant, alive. That night, I filled a 120x80 cm sheet. I felt hungry and strong and my drive coudn't be stopped by anything. Over the following year, I created sixteen major works, working hard on a daily basis. With a healthier version of me came a colorful expression that mirrored my genuine happiness and joy.

Göran Alfredsson - An unexpected friendship

During the pandemic I met designer Göran Alfredsson, who invited me to show my art at his boutique Thalia and later transform it into fine Italian silk for couture dresses. Seeing my art on silk was breathtaking. We continued our collaboration for four straight years with great success. One highlight was at the Swedish king's 50th jubilee where one of our dresses was worn by the hostess Zinat Pirzadeh, on stage in front of the nation and broadcast nationwide.

Thank you, Göran, for your trust, your elegance, and your belief in me.

This unexpected friendship has been nothing but a blessing!

- - -

My dry pastel works are pure expression — no rules, no scientific frame, no client expectations. Ten years into this journey, I feel immense gratitude: for my achievements, for everyone who has encouraged me, and for the beautiful chaos of an artist’s life.

To those who have collected my work — thank you. Having my art on your walls is one of the greatest honors of my life.

Finally, to my son, Lee. I changed my last name for you so you’d always be with me. You are my strength, my inspiration, and my reason. From the bottom of my heart till infinity and beyond, I love you!

Inspiring and helpful people in my career:

Filippa Arrias, John Stenborg, Serena Nobili, Magdalena Ljung, Jessica Kempe, Marjolaine Lombard, Mirja Hämäläinen, Jonas Björlin, Conny Ahlgren ✝, Ali Leylani, Mohamed Bourennane, Linnea Strid, Madeleine Ljungqvist, Peder Björling, Smilla Ubbe, Martin Jacobson, Olga Presniakova, Yonan Lindström, Magnus Torén, Danilo Vardiero, Erik “Sickan” Wadin ✝, Andy “Hubbe” Huber

More

With love / Dennis Duolee