A Sense of Belonging

John Khai’s bold brushstrokes and vivid colours bring an intensity to his landscapes, celebrating the peacefulness of nature with an almost surrealistic radiance.

There’s no subtlety of shading or hints of hidden depths in these works; they’re strong, forthright and self-assured. Trees become solid blocks of colour defined by angular lines, while the skies above are vast empty spaces creating a sensation of airy calmness.

At first sight, these interpretations could be mistaken for the work of a European artist, imbued with a character that seems more northern hemisphere than Asia.

And that may well be as a result of the remarkable lineage behind these fascinating landscape paintings.

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John Khai

For John Khai is originally from Chin state in Myanmar and moved across the border to Thailand in 2007. He settled in Mae Sot, the district that shares a border with Myanmar and began painting just a year later, using his homeland memories and new-found local landscapes as inspirations.

The modest township of Mae Sot itself is home to an extraordinary community of artists - this was where, among fellow souls, he discovered his passion for painting as a profound means of selfexpression.

Although initially taken under the wing of a local Mae Sot artist Saw Cu Cil, John has no formal training and is largely selftaught. His influences come from an appreciation of colours used by artists in his native Myanmar, and he admits to a fond admiration for the work of Vincent van Gogh.

Finding his own authentic voice has meant changing his working medium from the watercolours he first used to create paintings that more realistic.

And since adopting his preferred medium of acrylics on canvas, John’s expressive talents have soared - his work bursting with an innate vibrancy setting him apart from most of his contemporaries.

It’s ironic that all these bright, glowing landscapes are created at night during the hours of darkness when John finds his sense of inspiration to be most acute.

He’s established his own individual style, in his own unique way, surrounded by an inspirational Thai landscape he calls home.

Contact the artist: [email protected]