Tobias Staaf, born in 1985, lives and works in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden.

I have always loved art in all its forms, but as a young boy got fascinated by Malte Nyberg's (also known as XII) abstract paintings. It was my dear dad's merit when he, as art lover, took me to auctions and various editions that he held as chairman of Örnsköldsvik's art association.

My own painting came to be seriously a couple of years ago and is characterized as often by many layers of color and an abstract appearance. I am inspired by nature, meetings with people and by our surroundings.

My inspiration is also largely drawn from my inner self, from the mood I currently find myself in. I use the painting as a channel to ventilate what I am not able to express in speech or writing, this helps me feel completely free and gives me an inner calm.

I mainly use acrylic, but I also appreciate the oil's properties. I prefer to paint on big canvases, where I feel that my expression comes out in a better way.