The Art of Khik Weng Keat

Heavenly Cycles , acrylic on canvas, 2026. 24" X 24" (61 cm X 61 cm) Fascinated by animals in a young age, the artist combines the design of a clock tower with the concept of Chinese Zodiac animals in a cycle around the clock, a reference to the Earthly Branches timekeeping system where the 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac are asigned to the hours of a day. In real life, the Zodiac signs are assigned to every two hours in the 24-hour system (e.g. the hours of the Rat range from 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM, while the hours of the Horse range from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM). The Earthly Branches timekeeping system is part of the Chinese 60-year cycle and was historically used alongside water clocks and sundials, and are fundamental in the Ba Zi (Four Pillars of Destiny) in Feng Shui and Chinese astrology to determine the hour, day, month, and year of birth, as well as the most suitable times of the day for activities such as weddings, offerings and other spiritual practices. The Earthly Branch...

  The Courageous Eight , acrylic on canvas, 2026. 48" X 36" (122 cm X 91.5 cm) The artist welcomes the Year of the Horse 2026 with a recreation of the popular Eight Horses (ba jun tu/八骏图) image in Feng Shui peppered with auspicious symbols.  Among all the 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac, the horse stands out as the most dynamic, free-spirited and action-driven sign. Horses carry a vibrant life force, and a natural fire that moves quickly, thinks fast, and acts boldly. In the Chinese Zodiac, the Horse belongs to the fire element, and the Earthly Branch element of 2026's Horse sign is fire. This combination makes the Horse of 2026 not simply run, but ascend, where power meets power and destiny meets readiness. The luckiest number of horses to depict in a painting is eight, as it symbolizes speedy success, fame, and holistic growth, representing progress in career, wealth, health, and personal development. The number eight signifies the eight aspirations of life, bringin...