The Art of Khik Weng Keat

  Radiant in Red , acrylic on canvas, 2023. 20" X 20" Series 2 in Colors of the Wild In many cultures, the deer is a symbol of spiritual authority. Deer symbolize the powers in nature that are not easily subdued. They also represent instinctual energy and spiritual independence. During a deer's life the antlers fall off and grow again and the animal is also a symbol of regeneration. This animal's peaceful serenity is a perfect example of what deer represents, and all together encourages a certain embracing of the divine. The deer in the painting is a red deer, a species which ranged from Europe to as far east as western China. In several European cultures, this majestic mammal symbolizes inner peace and harmony, and its regal presence represents grace and nobility. In China, the red deer is often associated with longevity, while in Japan, it is considered a symbol of strength and power. The dominant color scheme in the painting are red hues, shown by the deer, the pla...

  Cosmic Conquerors , acrylic on canvas, 2023. 30" X 20" In the early days of rocket science, no one knew what spaceflight was like, which is why engineers flew animals into space to test the survivability of spaceflight and learn how to launch and land living beings safely and to better understand how spaceflight might affect human bodies. These efforts paved the way to the subsequent human exploration of space.  Animal space explorers The first animals to reach space were fruit flies, which were launched on Feb. 20, 1947 by the United States. The flies were placed aboard captured German V-2 rockets in an experiment to study radiation exposure at high altitudes. In 3 minutes and 10 seconds of flight, the fruit flies reached an altitude of 68 miles before parachuting back to Earth. The flies miraculously survived the spaceflight. The first animal to orbit the Earth was a dog named Laika, launched aboard Sputnik 2 by the Soviet Union on November 3, 1957. However,...