Kit King’s hyperrealist portraits are almost too good to be true, coming across as highly detailed photographs rather than paintings. And yet…with almost 350k followers online and exhibitions around the world—anywhere from the United States and the United Kingdom to the United Arab Emirates—King never fails to deliver.
“Art is life,” said the Bahamian-Canadian artist in an interview with Jung Katz, adding that both her parents are artists. “Art is my breath, my escape, my happy place,” she gushed. “Art is my own safe haven in a hectic world. It’s where I go to hide from it all, and is also where I go to enjoy it all.”
With artistic talent clearly running through her veins, King never took to formal training but rather taught herself the basics from scratch. “I’m sure you can learn a ton from art school, but it depends on what you want to take from art, and where you want to go with it that should determine whether or not it’s for you,” she explains.
“For me, I couldn’t imagine being ‘taught’ art. It’s one of the only free things in this world and I’ve personally gained so much from having the artistic process be 100% my own journey, untainted from outside influence.”
“Whether I make it big, or die a nobody, I spent my life doing what I loved, and I didn’t need student debt to make that possible,” adds King. But of course, she need not worry about “making it” in the industry. Having won several awards, her work is found in both private and public collections including the MET’s publication collection.
Here are some highlights from her Instagram page.
