Paintings by ©MALLEN
I paint under the pseudonym ©MALLEN, an alias which is drawn from the letters within my full name.
I am an Australian artist based in Canada. Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia.
My work is abstract interpretation. Paintings begin as digital compositions designed, tested, and resolved on screen, before being translated onto canvas.
From there, everything is freehand. Paint is mixed by eye. Lines are deliberately imperfect. I’m not interested in precision for its own sake, if I wanted that I’d print the work directly onto canvas. But there’s no heart or soul in that.
Art, for me, is a process of fails and fixes. Adjusting. Responding. Letting things go wrong so they can go right.
I maintain an active studio practice in Calgary, AB, Canada where I currently live.
Latest work: Royal Moraine Lake (Tryptic)
This triptych was commissioned for the Level 5 lift lobby of the Royal building in Calgary and presents an abstract minimalist interpretation of Moraine Lake at sunrise in Banff National Park. Rather than depicting the landscape literally, the work reduces the scene to flowing bands of colour and contour, capturing the quiet rhythm of light, water, and mountain forms as the day begins. Executed in acrylic on canvas with Posca black marker detailing and finished with a gloss varnish, the three panels read as both individual compositions and a continuous visual journey, designed to unfold as viewers move through the space. The result is a calm, contemporary installation that references place while remaining open, atmospheric, and meditative.
Inspired by Moraine Lake at Sunrise in Banff NP.
Royal K-Country (Tryptic)
This triptych series for Level 6 at The Royal in Calgary reimagines existing panels by painting over the previous monotone graphics to create a vibrant, contemporary composition and presents an abstract minimalist interpretation of the landscape of Kananaskis Country in Alberta. Rather than depicting the terrain literally, the work distills the environment into restrained forms, quiet colour relationships, and subtle tonal shifts. Through reduction and simplification, the painting reflects the sense of scale, stillness, and expansive atmosphere that defines the region. The triptych format allows the landscape to unfold slowly across the panels, inviting contemplation and a personal reading of place.
Inspired by Kananaskis Country in Alberta, Canada.
Royal Rug (Tryptic)
This triptych artwork was for the Lift Lobby at The Royal in Calgary and reimagines the existing black-framed panels by painting over the previous monotone graphics to create a vibrant, contemporary composition. The work is inspired solely by the floral rug in the adjacent waiting area—currently the only significant source of colour within the lobby. Drawing from its palette and organic motifs, the painting introduces abstract forms and block-like shapes that echo the rug’s character while bringing new energy into an otherwise neutral environment. Designed to stand out with intention, the piece adds an edge, individuality, and a distinct visual identity to the space.
The previous digital printed artwork.
Inspired solely by this floral rug.
The Seasons
This series ‘The Seasons’ of thirty acrylic on canvas works, created for The Royal in Calgary, explores the shifting moods of weather and seasons as experienced from the building itself. Comprising twenty large single-panel paintings (60 x 40") and ten diptychs (30 x 40" each), the collection invites viewers to interpret the natural elements whether light, atmosphere, or seasonal change, through layers of abstract form and colour. Finished with a gloss varnish, each piece carries a luminous quality that shifts with perspective, allowing the essence of the season to emerge uniquely for every individual who stands before it.
Work Archives
