Kevin Kane is an artist who is interested in human relationships and how societal norms impact those relationships. As a queer man who has survived and recovered from a strict Catholic upbringing followed by a series of heteronormative monogamous relationships, he is particularly interested in challenging heteronormativity in society and the powers-that-be who dictate standards of human behaviour. Kane's primary interest is in oil painting, although I am exploring other forms of expression such as sculpture, printmaking, drawing, moving image and installation art. He is currently exploring the conflict between his analytical character following a long career as a scientist and his desire to express emotion. Inspiration comes from contemporary artists including Doron Langberg, Kylie Manning, Jenny Saville and Laura Footes, whilst he also has a deep appreciation of the old masters such as Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Rembrandt. He is presently working on a body of work that probes what society describes as “love” from a personal perspective, in a series of stages, the first two stages being family and religion. A recent double-sided oil painting of a fellow Scottish recovered Catholic, who is a member of London’s fetish community, will be shown at the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2025.
Kevin Kane is an artist who is interested in human relationships and how societal norms impact those relationships. As a queer man who has survived and recovered from a strict Catholic upbringing followed by a series of heteronormative monogamous relationships, he is particularly interested in challenging heteronormativity in society and the powers-that-be who dictate standards of human behaviour. Kane's primary interest is in oil painting, although I am exploring other forms of expression such as sculpture, printmaking, drawing, moving image and installation art. He is currently exploring the conflict between his analytical character following a long career as a scientist and his desire to express emotion. Inspiration comes from contemporary artists including Doron Langberg, Kylie Manning, Jenny Saville and Laura Footes, whilst he also has a deep appreciation of the old masters such as Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Rembrandt. He is presently working on a body of work that probes what society describes as “love” from a personal perspective, in a series of stages, the first two stages being family and religion. A recent double-sided oil painting of a fellow Scottish recovered Catholic, who is a member of London’s fetish community, will be shown at the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2025.