Carl Fredrik Dahl was influenced early on by the abstract paintings of prominent figures such as Picasso - an interest and a passion encouraged by his art teacher from elementary school, Rolf Palvén.
Fredrik experimented with different materials and techniques to depict people and objects from an abstract perspective. Merging various means of imagery representation, he then discovered the method and technique that he now has refined and further developed. A technique based on a mixture of photography and painting.
At age 19, Fredrik studied at Österlens Art School in Simrishamn, Sweden. A few years later he enrolled the photography program at the Folkuniversitet in Lund, Sweden, and then worked for several years as a photographer's assistant in the advertising and fashion industry. In the early 2000s, he resumed painting again.
Fredrik has brought photographic techniques and knowledge of photography to his paintings and his recent work is clearly inspired by the world of photography. His paintings are composed in the same way as "a blurry photo with long exposure." He mixes figurative and abstract, often letting the foreground float into the background. In order to create grain in the paintings, like the one you find in movies and photos with low resolution, he initially uses gravel as structure. Many of Carl Fredrik's paintings have titles inspired by the seasons or light or colors at different times of day.
Since 2002, Fredrik collaborates with art publisher Lime Graphics in Malmö, Sweden. Together with owner Bill Graitans he continued to develop his work with different materials and colors, for instance augmenting light and color to emphasize forms and details. The cooperation with Lime Graphics and gallery as well as Jäger and Jansson in Lund has resulted in several exhibitions, decoration assignments and various corporate comissions.