Thomas Droll
Born in 1967.
Thomas Droll places the rhythm of urban life at the centre of his work. He lives and works in Olten.
His canvases stage contrasting urban moods: at times brisk city scenes, at others melancholic atmospheres—such as a rainy afternoon—carried by a carefully devised palette that balances calm with luminous accents. The urban rhythm recurs as a guiding thread, addressed both in the composition and in the choice of colour.
His first grounding in drawing, painting technique and colour theory was imparted by his father, Erich Droll, who had attended the Kunstgewerbeschule Basel between 1946 and 1948. In 1984, he rented a private studio, where he actively resumed painting. The first exhibitions, organised with the help of friends from the art scene, preceded the decision—recorded in the file—to leave his professional activity in 1991 in order to devote himself exclusively to painting.
The biographical page further states that he has been a professional artist «for 20 years», a wording that is not dated in the file.
In the synthesis suggested by the available sources, his work brings together the observable and atmosphere: urban motifs, recognised for their expressive dynamism, are tempered by a chromatic sensitivity that seeks a balance between silence and radiance. As presented, this work forms part of the practice he has pursued from his studio in Olten.
