The Art of Khik Weng Keat

  Icons of the Rising Sun: Guardian of Tradition , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 16.5" X 24" This 4-part series commemorates the 70th anniversary of Japan's beloved  Godzilla  franchise and fuses the fame of the so-called "King of the Monsters" with the popularity of Japanese culture. Both these icons have become extremely well-known worldwide. In 2015, the character Godzilla itself was granted citizenship and appointed as the tourism ambassador for Tokyo's Shinjuku district. Part 2 of the series focuses on the  Heisei  era, which in the  Godzilla  franchise encompasses the late 1980s to the early 1990s. In the painting, the 1985 version of Godzilla (as depicted in the film The Return of Godzilla ) is seen near a volcano that spews out gold "lava" and koban coins, the scene being a reference to the film's climax set near Mount Mihara, an active volcano on the Japanese isle of Izu Ōshima. The gold "lava" is also a reference to  kintsugi (go...

  Icons of the Rising Sun: Power of Umami , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 16.5" X 24" This 4-part series commemorates the 70th anniversary of Japan's beloved Godzilla franchise and fuses the fame of the so-called "King of the Monsters" with the popularity of Japanese food culture. Both these icons have become extremely well-known worldwide. Part 1 of the series focuses on the Showa era, which in the Godzilla franchise encompasses the 1950s to the 1970s. In the painting, the 1954 version of Godzilla is seen breathing out crystals of monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer which is marketed across the world under the brand name " Aji-no-Moto ". MSG is a popular condiment as it has a savory taste, or umami taste, which is regarded as the fifth basic taste; characteristic of broths and cooked meats. Foods that have a strong umami flavor include meat and seafood. Japan is known to have a food culture based around their extensive seafood industry. The abun...

Winter's Joy , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 24" X 24" The painting depicts a fun scenery that incorporates elements of winter and the Christmas festivities, and intends to present Christmas as a time of joy and togetherness during winter. In the painting a family of snowmen gather near a gingerbread house and engage in various activities and put on various outfits, while another snowman (a reference to Frosty the Snowman) rides with a Christmas nutcracker and a gingerbread man on a sleigh pulled by a reindeer (a reference to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer). The jolly face of Santa Claus appears in place of the sun, similar to the baby-faced sun from the children's TV show,  Teletubbies .

  Striking Similarity , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 24" X 24" This artwork highlights similarities between two types of plants - bamboo and sugarcane, which were a favorite food for two types of animals: pandas and elephants, respectively. Bamboo and sugarcane have several striking similarities - as they are both tall, woody plants of the grass family with hollow stems. Due to the similarities the plants have, elephants can also eat bamboo while pandas are also able to dine on sugar cane, which means they share one thing in common although a river divides them in the painting. There is a bridge for the pandas to cross while the elephants would be able to cross the river. An elephant is even shown offering a sugar cane. The painting reflects that different people could share interests although the interests slightly differ.

  Mid-Autumn Moongazing , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 24" X 16.5" The artwork is made for the Mid-Autumn or Mooncake Festival and incorporates various elements related to the festival, including mooncakes, rabbits and lanterns, coming together to represent unity. The festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese lunar calendar, when a full moon would be visible by night. The full moon in the night sky is a powerful symbol of unity, as it reminds people of the importance of family and loved ones coming together. Gazing at the full moon is a time-honored tradition during the festival, as it is believed to bring good luck and happiness to the family. The centerpiece of the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations is the mooncake, which can come in various flavors ranging from red bean paste to green tea to charcoal durian. Representing the full moon, mooncakes are also potent symbols of unity, reunion and completeness. Lanterns are another essential element in the Mid-Autu...

Extreme Frontier , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 36" X 36" The artist intends to highlight the scope of humanity’s exploration of the Solar System by including spacecraft among the nine planets. Most of the spacecraft (including the Vostok, Space Shuttle, International Space Station and Tiangong Space Station) are near the Earth’s orbit, some spacecraft landed on the Moon, while an unmanned space probe (Voyager 2) can be seen exploring the outer planets. The painting is further modified with the addition of animals based on constellations, namely Aries (ram); Taurus (bull); Cancer (crab), Leo (lion), Scorpio (scorpion), Sagittarius (centaur), Capricorn (goat) and Pisces (goldfish). This is a reference to the constellations' depiction in ancient star charts, which made them easier to identify and understand, aiding in navigation.  Our expanding understanding of the cosmos has the capacity to alter humankind's perception of its place in the universe, and the intention to exp...

  Dino-Go-Round , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 24" X 16.5" This painting is inspired by the Blue Sky Carousel at Genting Skyworlds, and features a prehistoric-themed carousel with prehistoric animals in the place of popular carousel animals. Dinosaur heads are used as the decorations at the top. The "customers" in the artwork are various species of prehistoric primates.  This artwork is the artist's first attempt at incorporating paleo-art with "genre" art, which is combining prehistoric animals with aspects of contemporary lifestyles.  

  Mesozoic Mariners , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 24" X 16.5" The artwork depicts a Tyrannosaurus swimming past a scenery of marine life from the Mesozoic era. The artist intends to show the breaking of the boundaries between two different worlds, as the T. rex , a land creature, is shown to be able to swim. This act has been backed by fossil evidence - scientists found both ripple marks and mud cracks in a riverbed, indicating the dinosaur was swimming against a current, and noticed distinct claw marks that stretched 50 feet apart from each other, showing the T. rex  may occasionally have paddled long distances through water. Additionally, the dinosaur's hollow bones would have allowed it to swim. The aquatic creatures in the artwork include: Globidens , a mosasaur Platypterygius , an ichthyosaur Hydrotherosaurus , a plesiosaur Macropoma , small members of the coelacanth family Psephoderma , turtle-like placodonts Hybodus , a primitive shark Pachydiscus , an ammonite ...

  Undersea Mountain , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 16.5" X 24" This painting is inspired by the documentary Wondrous Secrets Of The Ocean Realm: Mountain In The Sea , and depicts Indo-Pacific marine life in a large, mountain-like rock structure called a seamount. Supporting a wide range of biodiversity in the painting, the seamount represents strength and solidity as it withstands the changes in ocean currents caused by eddies. It also symbolizes dreams and hopes in a sea of possibilities. 

  Vibrant Migration , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 24" X 16.5" The artist showcases the five species of sea turtle found in Malaysian waters and places them in a scene inspired by the  sea turtle migration scene from the film, Finding Nemo . The five species are the leatherback ( Penyu Belimbing ); green sea ( Penyu Agar ); hawksbill ( Penyu Karah ); loggerhead ( Penyu Tempayan ); and olive ridley ( Penyu Lipas ). The various species of sea turtles and their young come together follow the current in a migration route, implying their journeys being shaped by similar forces toward a common goal. The "vibrance" refers to the colors of the turtles and the lively activity of the baby turtles.

The artist prepares several 8" X 8" paintings in preparation for an exhibition, showcasing land and sea animals as well as dinosaurs. DENIZENS OF THE DEEP Denizens of the Deep: Humpback Whale , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" Denizens of the Deep: Octopus , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" Denizens of the Deep: Jellyfish , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" SAFARI SIGHTS Safari Sights: Lion , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" Safari Sights: Elephant , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" Safari Sights: Giraffe , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" PREHISTORIC POP ICONS Prehistoric Pop Icons: Brachiosaurus , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" Prehistoric Pop Icons:  Triceratops , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" Prehistoric Pop Icons: Tyrannosaurus Rex , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8"

  Crooked Jungle , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 24" X 24" A crooked man lives in a crooked wooden house in a jungle full of crooked trees and crooked animals. This painting is inspired by the rhyme " There Was a Crooked Man " and is dominated by crooked and bent designs. Crooked lines are employed to convey excitement, restlessness and/or anxiety, which is perhaps reflected by the chaotic situation in the painting. The situation may have caused the crooked man to get out of the house to investigate.

  Feline Fortune , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 24" X 24" The Lucky Cat is a well-known symbol of good fortune displayed in restaurants, cafes, shops, and homes around the world, but especially popular in Chinese and Japanese culture. The main cat in the painting is gold, which is the color most closely associated with money and wealth. The Lucky Cat usually holds a Japanese koban coin with one paw while raising the other. In the painting the left paw is raised, which is to beckon or invite customers. The artist adds other big cats such as lions, tigers and leopards which are symbols of protection and strength, as well as other auspicious objects of Chinese culture such as a bottle gourd, a peach and a ruyi (ceremonial scepter). When accompanied by wealth-associated objects, the big cats are also a tremendous symbol of wealth.

Twelve-In-One , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 20" X 20" The painting is a concept of a dragon having all the attributes of the other 11 creatures of the Chinese zodiac. The initials of the zodiac animals are seen around it. Rat: ears Ox: horns Tiger: striped fur on head and whiskers Rabbit: hind legs Snake: body Horse: mane Goat: beard Monkey: face and eyes Rooster: head comb, claws and tail feathers Dog: snout Pig: front legs The artist intends to show that the dragon is the most powerful sign of the Chinese zodiac by having the combined aspects displayed on the dragon.

  Blessing in Black , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 20" X 20" Series 6 in Colors of the Wild A black "panther" is a melanistic leopard found in the moist, dense forests of Africa and southern Asia. It has beautiful, glowing black fur. According to legends, the black leopard is a born leader and all animals follow it. Its nature is considered to be ‘diverse’ and ‘uncontaminated.’ The black leopard is also said to be more powerful, aggressive, and have stronger energy than other cats. With this leadership quality, a black leopard can represent and mean a lot of different things, including courage, beauty, grace, protection, wisdom, rebirth, patience, reclamation of power and ability to know the dark. In jungles, seeing panthers and leopards is considered an omen of triumph. Leopards and panthers are strong, proud, and fiercely independent, making it an emblem of bravery and martial ferocity. The dominant color scheme in the painting are dark and black hues, represented by ...

White Wonder , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 20" X 20" Series 5 in Colors of the Wild For many indigenous cultures of the Arctic regions, the polar bear is a powerful symbol of strength, courage, and adaptability in the face of adversity. Determined and persevering, it has all the qualities of a leader.  Polar bears are greatly respected by the Inuit people as the most intelligent animal in the Arctic, and as a symbol of the resilience, patience and determination that is needed to survive in the harsh climate. As the polar bear fearlessly traverses the frozen wilderness, it becomes a living testament to intense willpower and courage in the face of the unknown. It also symbolizes protection, especially towards its young. Whether on land or in the water, polar bears have no natural enemies, making them the world's top land predators. With their beautiful white coats, humans call them the kings of the Arctic.  The dominant color scheme in the painting are white hues, represented ...

  Harmony in Yellow , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 20" X 20" Series 4 in Colors of the Wild The lion is respected in many cultures as it is seen as a symbol of strength, courage, royalty, leadership, protection, guardianship, masculinity, fatherhood, resilience, endurance and duality. The female lion, or lioness, is viewed as standing for wisdom, femininity, motherhood and also protection. A pair of lions, especially a male and female pair, can represent a sense of balance and harmony. They symbolize the union of opposing forces or dualities, such as strength and gentleness, power and compassion, or yin and yang. The well known quote, 'behind every great man there's a great woman', can be represented by the relationship between the male and female lions. Lion cubs symbolize balance and harmony, as the "product" of the union of the two genders of lions. The dominant color scheme in the painting are yellow hues, which has traditionally been a symbol of confide...

  Lucky Streak , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 20" X 20" The artist welcomes the Year of the Dragon with this painting depicting four young dragons playing a game of mahjong . The black dragon appears to have achieved a winning deck by drawing a 發財 " fa cai " (green dragon) tile, much to the shock of the white dragon sitting in its opposite direction, probably during a lucky streak. It implies a popular case of 食糊 (" sik wu ": winning off another player's discard), where the white dragon may have discarded the " fa cai " tile before it was drawn by the black dragon. The deck shown on the black dragon's side is shown to be "All in Triplets", where in the Hong Kong mahjong scoring rules, the player gets mostly combinations of 3 or 4 identical tile sets (碰 pung for 3 tiles, 杠 kong for 4). The dragons' winnings are shown as gold coins stored in money pots. The artist intended for the black dragon to achieve the winning deck as the bl...

  Draconic Harmony , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 20" X 30" The artist welcomes the Year of the Dragon with this painting depicting Eastern and Western dragons gathering harmoniously. Asian mythology portrays Eastern dragons as auspicious, benevolent protectors, while western dragons are usually perceived as negative and destructive (although western dragons have more recently emerged as misunderstood beasts). Dragons inhabit the unconscious realms of both East and West. They had unique origins, diverse features, but much in common: claws and scales, strength of will, as well as a preference for riches and fortune. The inclusion of both dragon types suggest the complementing energies of Yin and Yang, as well as bridging the gap between East and West with harmony. The bottle gourd (also known as calabash or 葫蘆瓜/Wu Lou Gua) represents good health, prosperity, long life, wealth and abundance in Chinese culture. It is also called the “gourd of longevity" and is believed...

  Children of the Dragon , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 20" X 20" The artist welcomes the Year of the Dragon with a painting that depicts two mythological creatures which combine the aspects of the dragon with other animals. The qilin is sometimes referred to as the dragon horse. It is a fabulous creature of good omen, prosperity, success, longevity and enchantment. The qilin 's presence is said to attract the powerful cosmic breath of the dragon, thereby bringing good luck. It is also the symbol of the first rank military official. The  qilin  embodies all five elements and is often associated with the element of fire. The dragon tortoise combines the awesome powers and attributes of the dragon and the tortoise, two spiritually-endowed creatures in Chinese symbolism. While the tortoise symbolizes longevity, the dragon represents success, courage and determination. The dragon tortoise also signifies wealth when paired with gold coins or ingots. This mythical creature is ...

  Celestial Progenitor , acrylic on canvas, 2024. 30" X 20" The artist welcomes the Year of the Dragon with this painting which depicts a golden dragon mastering the basic elements. A golden dragon represents abundance and prosperity. It is considered a guardian of the element earth, the center, heaven and the sun. The four orbs surrounding the dragon in the painting represent the elements of water, fire, metal and wood, which integrate the ever-changing cycles of the seasons. The red spider lily flowers in the top right are associated with abundance, prosperity, and good fortune. In Chinese culture, they are popular in Feng Shui for their ability to attract positive energy and wealth. Moreover, spider lilies are considered to be a symbol of renewal and rebirth, making them popular during the spring season.

  Nine Dragons: Celestial Prowess , acrylic on canvas, 2023. 20" X 20" The artist welcomes the Year of the Dragon with this painting which depicts nine dragons facing an orb of fire.  The painting is loosely based on another painting of nine dragons , which was designed such that there is a central dragon at the center `blowing' Qi. The dragon at the center approaches the flaming orb, and the dragons to the right and left twist towards the center, with each exhibiting different gestures. The dragon captures the essence of the sun and the moon, and the number nine represents the endless positive energy of heaven and earth. The artist includes background elements like clouds, waves, fire and cliffs, with the intent to include the five elements (earth, fire, water, wood, metal) aspect into the painting.  earth - cliffs fire - flaming orb water - waves wood - green color metal - gold color

  Azure Advent , acrylic on canvas, 2023. 24" X 18" The artist welcomes the Year of the Dragon with this painting depicting an azure dragon in the clouds.  The Azure/Green Dragon (Chinese: 青龍 qīng lóng), also known as Qinglong in Chinese, is one of the Dragon Gods who represent the mount or earthly forces of the Five Regions' Highest Deities (五方上帝 wǔ fāng shàng dì). The Dragon Gods in Chinese mythology are powerful weather and water deities, and are often seen as guardians of different regions, with the Azure Dragon associated with the East China Sea. The Azure Dragon represents the east and the spring season. Sometimes, it is believed to be the ancestor of all dragons worldwide. The 2024 Color of the Year in Feng Shui is sapphire blue, which not only brings its inherent qualities of serenity and wisdom but also aligns harmoniously with the energy of the year of the Wood Dragon. The element of Wood in Feng Shui is characterized by growth, vitality, and flex...

  Nine Dragons: Wealth and Prosperity , acrylic on canvas, 2023. 60" X 36" The artist welcomes the Year of the Dragon with this painting which depicts nine golden dragons and an abundance of wealth in the form of gold coins, gold sycees and red pearls. The painting seems to be inspired by the Nine Dragons painting by Chinese artist Chen Rong from 1244 (during the Song Dynasty). In Feng Shui philosophy, the dragon symbolizes prosperity and abundance. In Chinese culture, nine is the sacred number of the emperor. It was believed that the dragon king could change into nine dragon forms. The dragon in the center is supposed to represent the emperor (based on its pose), as traditionally, royal dragons have five toes or claws. The other eight dragons have four toes, and four-toed dragons are considered common and not part of the nobility. This conveys a message that wealth can be enjoyed, no matter the status, and that all classes can get along with each other in times of celebratio...