The Art of Khik Weng Keat

  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 to remov

  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 also

  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.