Artist Spotlight - Keng Lye - Alive Without Breath

For those of us lucky enough to have functional eyes (or glasses, like me), we sure rely on them a lot. (At least, I know I do) I mean, if we didn't, there's wouldn't be the whole "I'll believe it when I see it" saying. Now check out that turtle above. As realistic as that seems, it's not real. It's actually a three-dimensional painting in resin. Inspired by japanese artist Riusuke Fukahori, Keng Lye creates these paintings with layers of resin and layers of paint. That picture above is actually when the work was in progress. Here's the finished piece:

This series of three dimensional paintings is called "Alive Without Breath." By layering epoxy resin and acrylic paint, the animals (usually fish) are painted meticulously, layer by layer, the sandwiched slices revealing slightly more about each creature, similar to the function of a 3D printer. I love that this rides the line between painting and sculpture. Check out some pictures of the process below!

In progress

Still in progress...

Finished Product!

"I started my first series in 2012 where all the illustrations were “flat” and depth was created using the layering of resin and acrylic over the different parts of the illustration. This year, I started on the octopus and it was purely an experiment; I just wanted to see whether I could push this technique to a higher level. After applying acrylic paint straight onto the resin, I incorporated a 3-D element in this instance, it was a small pebble for the ranchu and octopus. For the turtle, I used an egg shell for the turtle shell and acrylic paint for the rest of the finishing. The whole idea here was to give the art work an even more 3D effect therefore you can have a better view from any angle. I think there are still many other techniques to explore." 

-Keng Lye, on "Alive Without Breath"

This one is one of my favorites! I think it's so remarkable.

I just want to point out the kind of planning a project like this must take. I am always amazed at the lengths and the time that artists take to create something awesome and beautiful. You can check out more on Keng Lye's work on his facebook or his deviantart. Thanks for reading!