The Art of Khik Weng Keat

  Treasures of the Night , acrylic on canvas, 2025. 24" X 16.5" The artist incorporates nocturnal animals with some foliage and fungi to illustrate a vibrant moonlit nighttime view. Flying foxes are the largest members of the bat family, and bats have been revered as a symbol of luck and good fortune in Eastern cultures. Fireflies are present in the painting as an analogue to the sparkling lights of the stars. Also present are a barred eagle-owl and a binturong (bear-cat), two famous nocturnal animals found in Malaysia. The flower in the top right is the black bat flower ( Tacca chantrieri ), a plant of the yam family which is commonly found in Southeast Asia and used in traditional Chinese medicine as a cure for various ailments.

  M ousedeer's Play Yard , acrylic on canvas, 2025. 24" X 16.5" This artwork is a sequel to Rafflesia's Garden , and also contains local wildlife and flora like its predecessor, with an emphasis on flora. The main focus of the painting is the mousedeer, a popular animal mascot in Malaysia. The popular folk character Sang Kancil and the legend of the founding of the state of Malacca all trace back to this small herbivore. Other animals depicted in the painting are the Serama  chicken, red-eared terrapin (a popular pet turtle species), palm civet, long-nosed horned frog and green peafowl. The hibiscus and Rafflesia remain but are also surrounded by several new plants such as moth orchids ( Phalaenopsis ) and staghorn ferns, as well as fungi such as the Ganoderma mushroom ( lingzhi ) and lion's mane mushroom ( Hericium erinaceus ), both popularly used in traditional medicine.

  Earth at Centre , acrylic on canvas, 2025. 24" X 24" Geocentrism is a term that refers to a planetary theory where the Earth occupies the central position of the world system. However in the context of this painting, the Sun does not revolve around the Earth but the Earth is at the center of the painting, with the Sun behind it. The Sun covers most of the background, and is still positioned in the centre of the painting.  Since antiquity, the geocentric view often implied that humans were the pinnacle of creation, and therefore, the universe was structured around them. In the thousands of years humanity has been studying the cosmos, we are the first people to know one thing for sure: the stars beyond our Sun are teeming with planets of various sizes. Like most scientific questions, though, getting an answer to this one just raises more questions, which includes the possibility of intelligent life beyond Earth. Are we truly alone in this universe? A certain astronom...

  Barnyard Bunch , acrylic on canvas, 2025. 24" X 16.5" This painting is inspired by the film Barnyard and the folk song Old Macdonald Had a Farm , and shows a farm with various animals. It often represents balance and harmony in a community, as the animals mingle with each other in the farm. There is also a harmonious relationship between the life and the land in a farm, which is said to be an "ecosystem" that can sustain them for a long time.

Elder Serpent's Blessing , acrylic on canvas, 2025. 24" X 24" The artist welcomes the Year of the Snake with this painting depicting an albino Burmese python with red pineapples and sugar cane. The albino Burmese python is chosen as the snake in the painting for its white and yellow scales, which make it look like it is gold in color. In Chinese culture, snakes are spiritual animals that represent wisdom, knowledge, good fortune, fertility, and longevity. According to ancient legends, the Snake has its own underground kingdom with numerous precious treasures, and those who are eager to make a great fortune should pray in the temple of the Snake. Red pineapples have become a modern symbol for prosperity and protection during the Chinese New Year and are favored for combining two ancient traditions into one decoration. The red pineapple is a rare cultivar that is believed to have originated in South America and is often grown as an ornamental plant.  The Chin...