The Art of Khik Weng Keat

  Dynastic Turf , acrylic on canvas, 2022. 20" X 16". The painting depicts a scenery from the Late Cretaceous period in North America, some 66 million years ago, before the most famous mass extinction. Based on recent research, extreme volcanic activity may have contributed to the extinction event, and dinosaur biodiversity declined well before the asteroid impact which put an end to the Cretaceous period, but it included some of the most well-known and well-studied species.  The area is covered in plants which include some modern forms we know today including magnolia flowers, ferns and Araucaria trees. Flowering plants first appeared in the early Cretaceous, but they have not evolved their modern essential reproductive structures yet. During the later part of the Cretaceous, tyrannosaurids became the dominant apex predators, particularly in the northern hemisphere. Tyrannosaurus rex is the most famous member of the family. With a strong, muscular neck and a pair of pow...

Weng Keat's artworks were featured at the CIMB's Hotel Art Fair for Artober 2022 at the element Hotel in Ilham Tower in KL! The exhibition takes place from 25 to 27 April 2022. Among the artworks sold during the soft opening/preview were: Bears and Lights , acrylic on canvas, 2021 ( Majestic Menagerie V ) Galapagos Tortoise , acrylic on canvas, 2021  ( Majestic Menagerie V ) Snow Leopard , acrylic on canvas, 2020  ( Majestic Menagerie III ) Bearded Vulture , acrylic on canvas, 2020 ( Avian Assortment II ) Carnotaurus Head , acrylic on canvas, 2020 ( Blasts of the Past ) Resplendent Pair , acrylic on canvas, 2020  ( Avian Assortment II ) Toco Toucan , acrylic on canvas, 2020 ( Avian Assortment II ) Owls By Day , acrylic on canvas, 2020 ( Avian Assortment ) Golden Pheasant , acrylic on canvas, 2020 ( Avian Assortment ) Flamingo Dance , acrylic on canvas, 2020 ( Avian Assortment II ) Lilac-Breasted Roller , acrylic on canvas, 2020  ( Avian Assortment ) Royal Flycatcher ...

  Deer-est Herd , acrylic on canvas, 2022. 16" X 20" Deer are among the most common and widespread hoofed mammals. Male deer have antlers, which they shed and regrow each year, and the antlers are an important feature to attract mates and intimidate rivals. A deer's developing antlers have blood vessels underneath a layer of skin called velvet, which can help to regulate the animal's body temperature. There are 36 species of deer. The moose (top) is the largest and heaviest species of deer. Most adult male moose have distinctive broad, hand-shaped antlers; while most other members of the deer family have antlers with a branch-like configuration. Moose typically inhabit forests in the Northern Hemisphere in temperate to subarctic climates, especially North America and northern Eurasia.  The elk or wapiti ( Cervus canadensis , center left) is also one of the largest species of deer and one of the largest land mammals in its native range of North America, as w...

  Beetle Boot Camp , acrylic on canvas, 2022. 24" X 24" Beetles and their smaller cousins, weevils, make up the largest subgroup of insects, consisting of half a million different species making up one third of all animal species. The front two wings of a beetle are hardened and strengthened into a protective covering called elytra. The elytra of some beetles come in a myriad of radiant and mesmerizing colors. There are more than 6000 species of ladybirds (or ladybugs). Many species of ladybird have bright and contrasting colors and patterns, such as red with black spots, as a warning sign to potential predators. Three species are depicted in the painting: the red, seven-spotted ladybird ( Coccinella septempunctata ), the yellow, ten-spotted ladybird ( Adalia decempunctata ) and a black-colored Asian ladybird ( Harmonia axyridis ). The black ladybird has a genetic condition where the color of the spots and background on the elytra are reversed. The red soldier beetle ( Rhagon...