KuGompo artist Teneale Dirker is redefining how audiences experience colour and emotion through her latest solo exhibition, Untamed Colour, currently on show at CVD Art Gallery.
Set to be further enriched by a formal artist walkabout on August 15, the exhibition offers not only a visual experience but also a personal connection to the artist’s intuitive creative world.
Unlike many exhibitions guided by a central theme, Untamed Colour is deliberately free-flowing.
“It is not built around a single concept,” Dirker told the Go! on Tuesday.
“It’s a collection of moments, emotions and inspirations that arise naturally in my everyday life, from nature and fruit to the silhouette of a person.”
This openness lies at the heart of her work, where colour becomes both subject and storyteller.
“Colour is powerful,” she said.
“It can transform a space, lift a mood and spark joy. Untamed Colour celebrates that freedom.”
Dirker’s creative process reflects the same sense of spontaneity that defines the exhibition.
Rather than beginning with a predetermined concept, every painting starts with a background colour inspired by her emotional state before she allows the work to develop naturally.
“I don’t force a concept. It’s a quiet moment where I discover what I want to bring to life,” she said. Working intuitively, she builds each piece layer by layer, beginning with darker tones that create structure before introducing vibrant colours that bring movement and energy to the canvas.
Whether she is standing over a large-scale canvas or concentrating on the finer details of a smaller work, every painting carries its own rhythm and personality.
Texture also plays an important role in her work. Through the use of layered materials such as paint, spray paint, sand and even concrete, Dirker creates depth that encourages viewers to pause and engage more closely with each piece.
“These layers encourage the viewer to look a little longer and discover something new each time,” she said.
Originally beginning her artistic journey through drawing, Dirker credits those early years with teaching her patience, discipline and attention to detail. However, it is painting on a larger scale that has become her most authentic form of expression.
Her growing reputation has seen her work featured twice in SA Home Owner magazine, while her paintings have found homes in private collections and commercial spaces across KuGompo and beyond.
Among the exhibition’s standout works is Gossip Club, a playful large-scale painting celebrating one of the world’s most overlooked birds.
“There’s something special about taking an ordinary bird people overlook and celebrating it with bold colour,” she said.
“It made me smile from beginning to end.”
Through Untamed Colour, Dirker hopes to encourage people to look at the familiar through a different lens.
“I want people to see everyday subjects with more colour and boldness, to notice the beauty that already exists around them, just seen differently,” she said.
Her ambition extends beyond gallery walls.
“I want my work to find its way into homes and spaces where it can be enjoyed every day, bringing joy, colour and personality into people’s lives.”
Visitors attending the artist walkabout will have the opportunity to meet Dirker in person, gain insight into her creative process and hear the stories behind the exhibition’s colourful collection of works.
As Untamed Colour continues to attract visitors, the exhibition stands as a reminder that art has the power to transform not only spaces, but also the way people see the world.
