In an art world largely lacking emotion, characterized by the dominance of corporate artists and postmodern intellectualism over raw human expression, EKS.REI delves back into the human psyche, pulling at personal strings to evoke a deeper common humanity. Born in Calgary, Alberta, EKS.REI is a self-taught artist that has displayed his work in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. He is perhaps best known for his inky black sumi ink paintings of skeletons and nude women in various states, from abstract and figurative to libidinal. It's a treat to catch him in his process, painting with long, fluid, effortless strokes that are both calming and captivating. Swiss psychologist Carl Jung said that ‘in order to know the light, we must first experience the darkness’ and EKS.REI looks directly into the darkness, using minimal techniques to explore heady themes like existentialism, psychoanalysis, and eastern spirituality. Not restricting himself to a single medium, the artist has expanded his work to include charcoal and acrylic mediums, digital animation and even custom vases with Japanese ceramic maker Hasami.

(Text from Haven shop interview by: Chais Mingo )*

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