Portrait of the artist

Yeo Kaa

Details

Born

1989

, 

Manila

Based

Manila

, 

Metro Manila

Medium

Painting
Sculpture

Style

Pop Art
Figurative

Bio

Yeo Kaa was born in 1989 in Manila, Philippines, where she continues to live and work. She studied Advertising at the College of the Holy Spirit Manila and won the University of Santo Tomas On-the-Spot Painting Competition and Special Prize of the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence in 2010.

Yeo Kaa creates a perfect dichotomy of color and torment through deceptively candy-colored characters caught in violent states of reality. Her stylized figuration resembles animation and children's book characters, suggesting a fantasy world that cleverly camouflages haunting images including crime scenes, dismembered bodies, and psychological violence.

This provocative contrast reflects a world where darker human tendencies hide beneath pleasant facades. She has mounted eight solo exhibitions across Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, and Germany. Her international recognition grew through 2017 residencies at Sarang Art Space in Indonesia and Arteles Creative Center in Finland, followed by a Berlin residency.

Her work is represented by Ames Yavuz and Tang Contemporary Art, with recent pieces showing an evolution toward more introspective themes while maintaining her distinctive visual language that juxtaposes sweetness with complexity.

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Notable

• Known for her signature pastel color palette

• Creates works that deal with mental health and personal experiences

• Works primarily in acrylic on canvas

• Has exhibited internationally

• Recognized as one of the leading painters in Southeast Asia