Yi Kai Studio

The Freedom to Create

The Early Years

In my early pieces, I shared the artistic eye and ideology along with many of my Chinese artistic peers. I had grown up with a disdain for the Cultural Revolution. It forced me to create pieces of art without political propaganda subjects for my artwork. Here, you can see a representative of that period. The subjects for these works come from Tibet and the ethnic minorities residing in the China countryside. During my travels, my interest was peaked by the way people dressed, colors, faces, and architectural styles. These influences were visual, as opposed to cultural, religious, or historical.

Monk before temple
40″ x 37″ | Gouache/ink on paper
Prayer
40″ x 40″ | Gouache/ink on paper
Monk with pilgrims
40″ x 37″ | Gouache/ink on paper