Figurative artist and Kansas City native, Gary Wilks, has been applying his passion for art making to the commercial and fine art industries for over 30 years. He has produced work both regionally and nationally. His work appears in collections throughout the KC Metro as well as California, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida. Locally, there are almost 300 of Wilks’ portraits on display at the T-Mobile Center (formally Sprint Center), and large outdoor wall murals for various businesses in downtown Kansas City.

Gary’s portraits capture the complexities of the human figure and the power of expression. Wilks employs modern techniques such as unmodulated layers of paint, splashes of arbitrary color, and the use of strong surface texture to innovate the traditional paint genre of portraiture. One key feature to Wilks’ body of work is the prominence of a subject within each painting. Whether an iconic figure from pop culture or an every day individual, he elevates the subject through his use of lighting, positioning, and suggestively sketched or contrasting backgrounds. Gary does not rely on extraneous detail or over-complicated settings. Instead, he allows the figure to be the focal point, highlighting the individual nuances, physical likenesses and personalities of his subjects, evoking emotional responses from his audience.

Wilks’ paintings incorporate an impressionistic flare while maintaining the realism of his subject. This combination not only creates a beautiful keepsake for the owner, but becomes a unique addition to any space.

Gary continues to produce work from his home in Lees Summit, Missouri and participates in local gallery shows, festivals and charity events. When he is not in front of a canvas, Gary enjoys spending time with family, including his wife, Rhonda, their three daughters, three granddaughters, one grandson, and two grand pups. You can find Gary outside playing croquet on Sunday nights, a long-standing Wilks family tradition where a traveling trophy may or may not be involved.

Current Residencies: 2010 Art Gallery - Prairie Village, Kansas
Leawood Fine Art - Leawood, Kansas