Exploring nature as ‘Common Cathedral’: the space gifted to each of us to connect with our own understanding of divinity.
Hi I’m Kai, a Worcestershire based fine artist. Rooted in a reverence for nature and my love for native British wildlife, my work explores my deep connection to the natural world. Nature is, to me, the ‘Common Cathedral’: the space that is gifted to each and every one of us to connect with our own understanding of divinity.
My art often takes inspiration from many of the great religious works throughout history. I draw particularly upon the work of Byzantine and Gothic iconography. The use of gold and metal leaf has become an integral motif within my work; gold has not only been a symbol of divinity and spirituality from our earliest civilisations, but also has the singular ability to alter the quality of light within and without a painting. This glow cast upon and around the viewer creates a unique relationship between audience and artwork.
Conservation, re-wilding and environmental awareness play a huge role in my subject matter. From depicting threatened and endangered animals, to working on up-cycled wooden panels, environmental concerns are always at the fore of my vision. I aim to inspire and foster conversations around safeguarding our natural world.
At the core of my work is the wish to explore the joy of natural forms, to share my reverence of and connection to nature, and to remind my audience of the astounding beauty we must cherish and protect for it's wonder to abound.