Cecil K.

Garden Delight

2019

Cecil K. was born in Uzbekistan in 1963. His first artistic experience was in sixth grade sketching a horse and from that day on, sketching with pencil was one of his favorite hobbies. He attended high school in the late 1970s, then attended art university from 1978 to 1982. He obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts and painted often, only taking a hiatus while he served in the Uzbek army from 1982 to 1984. Upon returning from active duty, he began working at a textile factory and married his childhood sweetheart, Saira. Together they have two children, a son named Arsen and a daughter named Fatima In 1989, Cecil moved to Krasnadar, Russia and in 1998 he relocated to Antalya, Turkey where he started to work in advertising. The creativity of advertising unearthed his love of painting and he continued to pursue his talents during this time in his life. For the following eight years, Cecil would move back and forth between Turkey and Russia. In April 2005, political turmoil in Russia forced Cecil to immigrate to the United States under refugee status. With the help of family already there, Cecil and his family made their way to Atlanta where he found himself painting more regularly and with a greater emotional depth than ever before. An acquaintance suggested he begin selling his artwork to local galleries. He was making a living selling his artwork for the first time, a period he fondly remembers this as the most exhilarating time of his life. Inspired by great artists of history, Cecil K began painting his landscapes with an open, clear mind and let the painting guide him. Armed with nothing but a pallet knife and seven base colors, he is able to create very recognizable art work that portrays great emotion in any color imaginable.