Ullger’s Almenara piece confronts the silent battle of male mental health

Karl Ullger’s piece ‘Quiet Inferno’ has been shortlisted for the Almenara Art Prize which received a highly commended in last year’s international art exhibition on the Rock and also formed part of the Cane-Yo exhibition in Berlin, Germany.

The painting he said lays bare the often hidden struggles of male mental health as he describes the work as “an ugly painting for an ugly truth”, which is the taboo around speaking out.

The piece shows three male figures which he said are all aspects of the same person. Echoing the familiar angel and devil on the shoulder image, the two flanking figures who are dressed the same suggest conflicting voices.

Around this main character, neon reds, oranges and greens swirl like flames. Mr Ullger explains that this “quiet fire” represents the intense emotions that burn within, often unseen, but with real impact on family, friends and the wider environment.

A small, easily missed road sign in the top right corner stands for the different paths available at moments of crisis and act as a reminder of the decisions faced in life.

Beneath the painting, he added a short text: “Behind calm eyes, a quiet fire burns.

The weight of what is felt but rarely spoken. A glimpse into the hidden battles of the male mental health, The tension between silence and struggle.”

This has purposefully been placed there to “cater for the masses”, aware that some viewers might dismiss the work as simply “an ugly painting” without grasping its deeper intent.

In Berlin, he said that a German journalist told him that Quiet Inferno was her favourite work in the exhibition. She described it as “such a sad painting” but also “such a powerful painting”, saying she could feel what the subject was going through.

Mr Ullger said that his piece aims to conjure the same emotions some people feel when they see the works of painters such as Francis Bacon and Frank Auerbach, whose works confront inner turmoil. While there was no direct visual influence, he acknowledges that their way of “deconstructing” the human figure to express psychological struggle was in his mind as he worked.

Technically, he explains that the painting is carefully constructed to guide the viewer with an imaginary triangle, commonly used in Renaissance compositions, directs the eye between the three figures and key details.

The figures carry a kind of halo, reinforcing the idea of “good” and “bad”, while empty space above them feels almost like a speech bubble. Even a bag held by the central figure is left ambiguous said Mr Ullger, asking what is inside, and what does it signify at this delicate crossroads in his life?

Colour, too, plays a central role he said who noted that he is going through a recent “green period”, after years of favouring browns and neutrals.

In Quiet Inferno, multiple greens such as neon, olive, emerald clash with reds and pinks, colours he particularly loves. Mr Ullger is a teacher and tells his students, green and yellow are among the hardest hues to handle because of their saturation and translucency, yet here they are layered and balanced to generate tension and depth.

The choice of green over, say, blue, he said was a conscious emotional decision while blues might have shown a cooler, more conventional sadness, the greens keep the work uneasy, agitated and alive.

Although the subject is dark, the conversation around the painting is what Mr Ullger wants to happen.

While landscapes and familiar local scenes can evoke nostalgia or fond memories, pieces like Quiet Inferno are designed to provoke dialogue, particularly about the way society still tells men to “man up” and push problems aside, rather than seek help and support.

In Gibraltar, he acknowledged that awareness has improved thanks to organisations such as GibSams and other mental health groups, yet he believes the old stigma lingers. Quiet Inferno he said is his contribution to challenging that silence.