Thomas Leth

Tomas Leth explores shifting states of perception through richly layered pastel and oil-pastel paintings that draw from nocturnal walks and botanical forms. His process unfolds over months, starting with an instinctual motif—often inspired by nature—and evolving through gesture and intuition into works that balance chaos and surprise. His densely textured surfaces—built with fingertip-applied pastels—create organic, mutable visuals that resonate like geological strata or fungal networks in bloom. Leth’s pieces challenge conventional vision: their soft contours and atmospheric depth demand prolonged viewing, inviting the eye to adjust and sense beyond literal forms. Drawing from influences such as Impressionism, post-structural philosophy, and mystical modes of seeing, his canvases interrogate the construction of reality and the gaps in perception. Themes of decay, regeneration, and the uncanny are central: Leth uses tactile layers to evoke environments where meaning is both hidden and shifting, suggesting that nature itself is unstable and mutable. His practice reflects a quiet philosophical urgency—preferring non‑literal vision over narrative certainty, and seeking “anti‑pictorial” modes of seeing that open space for ambiguity and transformation. ...