KANE MCLAY

Born in 1995 and brought up across numerous countries, Kane McLay’s early exposure to diverse cultures and lifestyles led to his interest in human nature and the existential truths that connect us all. Combining an intuitive process of creation and destruction with using a variety of oil painting techniques, from brushes to knifes to rollers, McLay paints abstract life-scapes with human forms directing the narrative. 

McLay graduated in 2017 from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, Scotland with a BA Hons in Fine Art during which time he also studied in Valencia, Spain and was awarded the John Kinross Scholarship by the Royal Scottish Academy. Soon after graduation, McLay took part in several group shows across Scotland including the prestigious RSA and RGI Open Exhibitions. He was also represented by Compass Gallery at London Contemporary Art Fair.

McLay moved to Tuscany in 2018, establishing himself with his solo exhibitions “Encounter” at Tobian Gallery in Florence and “Dissociation” at River Concept Gallery in Pisa. In 2024, McLay exposed three solo exhibitions: “Hollow” at Galerie Marguerite Milin in Paris, “Hollow II” at Palazzo Fruscione in Salerno and “Introspection” at Tobian Gallery in Florence. His artwork is gaining popularity and is held in private collections in London, Rome, New York and Berlin.

At YouNique 2024, a series of McLay’s oil paintings was represented and sold by AA Spazio Arte in Lugano. This year he returns independently with new artworks.

With the artist’s words: «Hollow spaces, faded limbs, grasping hands — navigating discomfort and fear is part of the human experience. When the protective masks we construct unravel, our character is exposed, revealing our inner truth. These moments of change provide us with an opportunity to grow and evolve. To celebrate this, I combine dark, unsettling poses that highlight our inherent vulnerability with vibrant, striking colours that evoke a sense of vitality, capturing both the struggle and the beauty of transformation.

Most recently, the flower — a timeless emblem of purity, growth, and transience — has become a prominent element in my paintings, where it is not simply admired, but fiercely hunted, plucked, and hoarded by human forms embodying our ceaseless craving for more: more beauty, more possessions, more pleasure, more time, more power».