“Carl Hammoud’s source of inspiration is contemporary art but there is a clear historical aspect to his works. He shifts his creations from the physical office space to an undated and very carefully designed present setting. This is a process that takes time and energy.

'-It feels as though it has to be difficult in order to be good. I hope it gets easier over time but so far it’s been the opposite.'

Hammoud’s paintings are built of layers of doubt. He says that he repaints and over-paints frequently because he “has to put up with the works for such a long time”. Each series takes months to complete and over that period he manages to throw away paintings and start again several times. “Satisfied” is a word Carl Hammoud often returns to and it is associated with extreme precision.

'-I like pushing myself to progress further and explore what I can do.' "

Svenska Dagbladet, 16 December 2007