Alexander Kai’s Figures in Focus at St Mary’s Devizes

Featured Image by Gail Foster

St Mary’s Church in Devizes may be a while yet before becoming the vision of a fully fledged arts centre, but it’s certainly showing its full potential this coming weekend with a stunning exhibition from local artist Alexander Kai…..

A prolific multimedia artist with the skill of another far elder, Alexander’s display is breathtaking, and in such an apt environment. At ease with the browsers he expressed great fondness for the setting, remarking on the changing light as evening set in, as I supposed the atypical Bauhaus gallery to be inapposite when you can glide through the pews and find alternative embodiments of countenance within, what is largely life drawing and portraiture with few, but some, landscapes. “I really wanted to integrate the building into it,” he explained, “because it is the most magnificent space.”

Mike and Mike by Alexander Kai. Image: Gail Foster

Yet the range here is equal in mediums and subject to the quantity. There’s many charcoal sketches and sepia life drawings, acrylic and oil works, even some sculptures, and while subjects vary from classic to stimulatingly contemporary, and few with foreboding undertones while others propitiate ebullience, they all capture a moment in time, or an expression with narrative, and are all exquisitely executed…. I’ve said too much already, pay it a visit!

But it’s the precision of expression and quality and range of skin tones which draw you into Alexander’s work. Four paintings in the chancel contradict each other and act as an example of this astounding artist’s range. Far left the torso up of a shirtless young man striding forward with a mammal skull clasped in hand simply connotes an eerie sensation akin to a psychological thriller, whereas far right there’s a more common painting of a Roman sculpture bust, and nestled in between are two works, one a stunning portrait of a younger woman, the third a family type triple pose with elders and youths.

Every contour of the ageing skin of the older lady is so precisely and richly rendered I got to suppose the smoother skin of youth is easier to depict. Alexander thought otherwise, saw the challenge of wrinkles against the contrast of the symmetry of youthful beauty, and reasoned the older the subject the greater story they had to tell, which he captures in that expression and ambience. And in a nutshell, that’s the key, I felt, to the brilliance of this artist, that whatever the medium, subject or style, there’s reason, a story to tell.

Alexander Kais’ Figures in Focus opens tomorrow (Friday 7th) at St Mary’s, Devizes and runs until Sunday (9th.) The church is open from 11am to 4pm, except on Saturday when it closes later at 6pm. Follow Alex Kai on Instagram.