Calvin Lai

"Calvin Lai would describe his relationship to art as the “monkey on my back” which climbed on during a self portrait in kindergarten. It was drawing the shoelaces that day which got the “monkey” to climb on, and he remembered the care and feeling he had while making the loops of the laces just right. This fascination with getting things right drove him towards rendering realistic images, and he began teaching himself the basics of value and perspective at a very early age. Growing up in Los Angeles, his addiction to art progressed and people became his main and favorite subject. This eventually led him to San Francisco in order to pursue his study of art at San Francisco State University, as well as The Academy of Art. But it wasn't until 2008, at the Academy, that Calvin began to really study painting. Now oils are his main medium. Since then he has been pursuing a non-stop development of his painting skills, showing in galleries, group shows, and juried exhibitions, and appearing in the Southwest Art magazine. Though Calvin mainly focuses on figurative and portrait painting, he is driven to capture all that he finds compelling through his paints, brushes, and determination."