Freedom. Birds of Paradise Artwork

Growing up, creativity was Kelvin’s entertainment. His family’s farm in the Malaysian highlands had no electricity or running water, and as a young artist Kelvin was exposed to hand-made crafts, creative experiments and artistic solutions on a daily basis. From searching for firewood, collecting drinking water from an open well and fishing at the river for food, to crafting wood, traditional kite making with newsprint, corn starch, thread and bamboo, to melting candles together as a light source fuelled his imagination. Being from the Highlands, Kelvin has always been inspired by light. Firewood, candles and fireflies at night, the morning mist and clear blue skies during the day, and the stunning Malaysian golden hour in the evening. Having moved to the city he was most fascinated with definable subjects such as datelines, bank accounts, certifications and a professional life. With this blend of both soft and hard subject matters, he found ways to expand his artistic vision and create new ways to express. Today, Kelvin takes this hard and soft duality as a source for his art. Every person contains and reflects differing amounts, and he is inspired by these unique layers and combinations, the underlying and overlaying textures of light, and the colour vibrations that pulse through our daily experiences. Early developments of his conceptual art journey were inspired by Piet Mondrian, John Constable, Jackson Pollock and Cy Twombly. As he developed more freedom and depth, artists such as Mark Rothko, Peter Wileman, Stev’nn Hall and Christian Hetzel expanded his imagination and personal style. Sometimes we need to get lost in order to find ourselves. Kelvin’s journey is an effort to combine the colour and light of urban life with the mist and quiet of his childhood in compositions that strive for an emotive silence.