Kai Lun Qu “Kai” Original and Limited Edition Art

Kai Lun Qu, renowned for his expressive Alla Prima oil paintings, blends classical techniques with contemporary influences from artists like John Singer Sargent and Richard Schmid. He began teaching at 16 and founded his own atelier in 2018. In 2022, Kai merged traditional oil painting with pop culture, working with clients like Square Enix and Marvel, including contributions to the award-winning game Marvel SNAP. Dedicated to making oil painting accessible, he bridges fine art and fan art, while also mentoring and teaching internationally. Kai is based in LA and actively conducts workshops and lectures.

Kai Lun Qu is a highly regarded artist known for his mastery of Alla Prima (wet-on-wet) oil painting, where his expressive and emotionally evocative strokes bring each piece to life. In 2022, inspired by the creativity at comic and anime conventions, he began blending his traditional oil painting techniques with pop culture media.

Kai has had the privilege of working with esteemed clients such as Square Enix and Marvel, contributing his talents to the award-winning game Marvel SNAP. His journey in the comic book industry includes cover art for Ablaze Publishing's Almost Dead Comic and the Evermind comic, a project created by the legendary Sean Chen and martial arts star Daniel Wu. Additionally, horror icon Ken Foree entrusted Kai as the main cover artist for his comic book Descendant of the Dead.

Kai's work extends into the literary world, where he was honored to be chosen by the renowned author Dan Simmons to illustrate 12 paintings, including the dust jacket cover, for the limited edition of the famous horror novel Carrion Comfort, published by Suntup Editions.

Dedicated to making oil painting more accessible, Kai is passionate about demystifying the medium for the general public, especially within the fan art community. He believes that all subject matter is worthy of fine art recognition. As a Pro Team Artist for Trekell Art Supplies, a Mentor for Sentient Academy, a Member of The Circle of Gamblin Artists + Educators, and a main faculty member at the Vision X Global Art Conference, Kai is committed to educating and inspiring the next generation of artists. Based in LA, he shares his knowledge through workshops at various schools and ateliers.

Kai Lun Qu's artistic journey is marked by a blend of humility and impressive achievements, earning respect and admiration from peers and audiences alike.