The Art of Khik Weng Keat

  Famished Four , acrylic on canvas, 2021. 24" X 18" The painting depicts some of the most powerful carnivorous theropods from the Cretaceous period, namely the Tyrannosaurus , Carnotaurus (bottom left), Giganotosaurus (top right) and Baryonyx  (top left). Each of these dinosaurs had different specializations for them to hunt various prey, for example the shape of their teeth and body. Tyrannosaurus possessed over 60 serrated teeth the size of bananas in its jaws, suited to bite at victims and tear flesh. Giganotosaurus , which was larger than Tyrannosaurus , had thinner, serrated, blade-like teeth, however they were not as varied as Tyrannosaurus's , which teeth came in different shapes for different functions. The teeth of Baryonyx were conical and specialized to catch slippery prey such as fish. Carnotaurus , a member of the abelisaurid family characterized by body armor and small arms, probably used its hinged jaws to widen its gape when opening its mouth, enabling it...

These dinosaur paintings were made on art block from 2017 to 2018, during his early years under the supervision of his mentor, Ayu Wong.  Dilophosaurus Dilophosaurus head, acrylic on art block, 2017. 29.7 x 42 cm. This is said to be one of the most impressive early paintings made by the artist - the superbly-detailed head of a Dilophosaurus . Dilophosaurus (name meaning "double-crested lizard") is well-known for the pair of bony crests on top of its head. The exact function of the crest is still unknown, and the functions proposed by scientists range from being for display to a form of species recognition. Bistahieversor Bistahieversor  head, acrylic on art block, 2018. 29.7 x 42 cm. Bistahieversor (name meaning "destroyer from Bisti, New Mexico") is a member of the tyrannosaurid family which lived in New Mexico, USA, during the Late Cretaceous. It differs from other tyrannosaurs for having 64 teeth, an extra opening above the eye, and a keel along the lower jaw. Ce...

  Sovereign of the Sahara , acrylic on canvas, 2021. 24" X 18" 95 million years ago in the middle Cretaceous, the Sahara desert in North Africa was a completely different place. It was filled with patchworks of sandy deserts and fertile wetlands, where its water was sourced from the ocean. These wetlands became a suitable habitat for dinosaurs, including Spinosaurus , one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs that had ever lived.  The overall appearance of Spinosaurus in illustrations had changed largely since its discovery in the Sahara desert in 1915. It was originally envisioned as a bipedal theropod with a large sail on its back. At the time, little was known about Spinosaurus ' anatomy due to the original fossils being lost after the museum in Berlin, Germany where it was housed in was destroyed in World War II. In the middle 1990s, skull material of Spinosaurus was discovered in another part of the Sahara, confirming that the animal had a long snout like crocodilians...