Kyle Ma paints what captures his attention. He doesn’t necessarily go looking for scenes to depict, but rather, he lets the beauty of the moment come to him. “I’m always looking for pleasing arrangements of different shapes and different values, so I tend to look at [painting] from a pretty abstract standpoint. It doesn’t matter that much what I’m painting as long as I believe there’s a good design to it,” says the artist. It’s no secret that Ma, born in 2000, is somewhat prodigal in the modern art world, a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America and winner of numerous prestigious awards. But at the heart of it all, he’s simply trying to capture what he finds beautiful or captivating.
Farm Life, oil on panel, 14 x 18"
The young artist currently lives in Austin, Texas, and will be presenting a new show with InSight Gallery in Fredericksburg from December 3 to 23. Titled Viewpoints, the show’s initial idea was to focus on small works. And it still is in a sense, says Ma, explaining that while most exhibitions present very large, grand paintings, smaller works often better show his artistic process. “You get to see the brushstrokes more easily...Doing these small works is a really important part of practicing, and a lot of times they get overshadowed,” he says.
Dahlia Garden, oil on panel, 12 x 16"
This new body of work is a representation of Ma’s worldly travels, from France to his home country of Taiwan. “It’s just happened that I’ve been to some pretty inspiring places,” he says. Evening at the Louvre, a piece depicting France’s famous museum, was something Ma absolutely knew he wanted to capture, but everything else was serendipitous. He explains that his floral Provence Roses came about while strolling through a village in southern France and happening upon a rose garden.
Provence Roses, oil on panel, 12 x 12"
“I like painting florals, figuring out these complex patterns with all the petals of the roses,” says Ma. Keelung Harbor Nocturne depicts a prominent port on the northernmost tip of Taiwan, near Ma’s hometown of Taipei.
Keelung Harbor Nocturne, oil on panel, 12 x 12"
“So much of Kyle’s career has been on him having such natural ability at an extraordinary young age, but an art career isn’t about age, it’s about hard work combined with talent, whether you are 17 or 77,” says Elizabeth Harris, director of InSight Gallery, which has represented Ma since he was 15 years old. “Viewpoints is a body of work that tells of his travels, his ability to see beauty in the simplicity of every day and where he is as a young man, a student and a professional artist.”
An artist reception will be held at the gallery on December 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. —
Upcoming Show
Up to 25 works
Dec. 3-23, 2019
InSight Gallery
214 W. Main Street
Fredericksburg, TX 78624
(830) 997-9920
www.insightgallery.com
Powered by Froala Editor
