The Art of Khik Weng Keat

The artist prepares several 8" X 8" paintings in preparation for an exhibition, showcasing land and sea animals as well as dinosaurs. DENIZENS OF THE DEEP Denizens of the Deep: Humpback Whale , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" Denizens of the Deep: Octopus , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" Denizens of the Deep: Jellyfish , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" SAFARI SIGHTS Safari Sights: Lion , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" Safari Sights: Elephant , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" Safari Sights: Giraffe , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" PREHISTORIC POP ICONS Prehistoric Pop Icons: Brachiosaurus , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" Prehistoric Pop Icons:  Triceratops , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8" Prehistoric Pop Icons: Tyrannosaurus Rex , acrylic on canvas, 2021.  8" X 8"

Know Your Position , acrylic on canvas, 2023. 30" X 24" The painting depicts a food web of the ocean, and every creature in this painting has a role to play in this complex food web based on their trophic level, which is their position in the food web. Producers Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents. There are two types: zooplankton and phytoplankton. Phytoplankton or plant plankton serve as the chief producer in the oceans. They are mostly green due to having chloroplasts, which enables them to carry out photosynthesis. They drift in the ocean's surface to take in sunlight. Low-level consumers Zooplankton or animal plankton comprise of various types of small animals such as fish fry, small invertebrates and their larvae. They usually feed on phytoplankton, which are generally smaller. Corals get their food from algae living in their tissues or by capturing and digesting prey, especially plankton. Most reef-building corals hav...

 ANCIENT AQUARIUM The oceans of our planet were formed long before humans, dinosaurs and even life itself existed: around 3.8 billion years ago. Life began appearing on Earth around 3.77 billion years ago and they have evolved in Earth's oceans throughout the course of billions of years. The world's oceans have foreseen the evolution of life in a myriad of shapes and forms throughout the Phanerozoic eon, and despite the various mass extinctions that occur, the struggle for survival continues there. Ancient Aquarium , acrylic on canvas, 2021. Set of 9, each piece 8" X 8"  Orthocones Giant Orthocone , acrylic on canvas, 2021 Orthocones are a group of cephalopods (a family which also includes squid and cuttlefish) which are known for their straight shells, a characteristic where the family name came from. Orthocones lived from the late Cambrian to the late Triassic (509 to 201 million years ago), but were very common during the early Paleozoic era, especially in the Ordo...

COLORS OF THE DEEP The depths of the oceans are full of color: it is filled with various colorful creatures and brightly-colored environments. Some of these colorful creatures are unique and have special features which distinguish themselves from each other and even help them in their fight for survival in such a competitive world.  Colors of the Deep Vol. 2 , acrylic on canvas, 2021. Set of 9, each piece 8" X 8"  Seahorses Hippocamp Trio, acrylic on canvas, 2021. There are 46 known species of seahorse, and three species are featured in this painting: the Sindonis seahorse ( Hippocampus sindonis , left), the pot-belly seahorse ( Hippocampus abdominalis , foreground) and the pygmy seahorse ( Hippocampus bargibanti , top right). The pot-belly seahorse is one of the biggest members of the seahorse family, while the pygmy seahorse is the smallest. The Sindonis seahorse, known for its bright red coloration, is native to waters off Japan. The pygmy seahorse comes in a variety of co...

  Benthic Brainstormers , acrylic on canvas, 2020. 30" X 48" Some ocean creatures display what is believed to be a heightened intelligence and cognition, and some species stand out in particular, such as the killer whale and the octopus. The killer whale is a member of the dolphin family, known for their ingenuity. Killer whales are social animals with a complex social structure, which can be comparable to that of elephants and humans. On the other hand, octopuses are thought to be some of the most intelligent invertebrates that they have been made an important example of advanced cognitive evolution in animals. Octopuses have been observed to display a wide range of ingenious activities including tool use and the ability to think and solve problems. The Process The calf of a killer whale is born with a yellowish or orange tint on its belly, which fades to white when it matures. The giant Pacific octopus is one of the most-studied octopus species. The West Indian manatee ( Tr...

 BEWILDERING BIODIVERSITY Biodiversity is defined as the variety of biological life in the world or in a particular ecosystem. A high level of biodiversity is said to be beneficial to the environment, as both flora and fauna interact with each other in a constant arms race for survival, with these struggles being essential for the balance of life on Earth.  Bewildering Biodiversity , acrylic on canvas, 2020. Set of 9, each piece 10" X 10"  Unicorn Grassland Unicorn, acrylic on canvas, 2020 The unicorn is a mysterious animal. Many people believe that unicorns resemble horses with a single horn emerging from its forehead. It also may have originated from sightings of horned herbivorous mammals which usually have two horns with one of them broken, making it look as it it had one horn on its head. Lion Lions in grassland, acrylic on canvas, 2020 In ancient times, lions were thought to be the “kings of the jungle”. However, lions do not live in dense forests but prefer open gr...