“ To the Egyptians, beetles symbolized coming into existence. They were a reference to regeneration, and the idea that new life comes through death.  In 2017, I was walking through the University of Kansas Natural History Museum in Lawrence, KS, and I was taken by a preserved two-inch beetle. I photographed it, and I found myself pulling up the image repeatedly. I was taken by the patterns and the play of light across the beetle’s wings and thorax.  As I started at the pattern, I began to consider the pattern of the beetle against the human-designed patterns of wallpaper. On the surface, I began to play with the compositions and color combinations that were possible by juxtaposing these two things. Beneath the surface, I was using these paintings to work through my own regeneration, a baptism of sorts. The repeated cycle of painting these beetles serves as a meditation—a coming into existence. ”

Kevin morris

Kevin Morris is a Kansas City based representational artist. A colorist with a strong commitment to form and light, Morris combines direct observation and expressive color to create representations that juxtapose planes of flattened space with realistic images that convey depth and plays of light. 

While Morris does not have formal training in art or design, he studies art closely, borrowing from the techniques and habits of the nabis, fauvist, and pop art movements.  He is interested in giving presence, depth, and space to small, seemingly insignificant, ephemeral things such as flowers, bugs, or interior scenes of domestic life. 

Morris works out of his home studio in Overland Park where his family, their cats, and their home provide energy and inspiration for his work.