Self-taught artist Feliks Kaparchuk, aka ColorByFeliks, recreates the beauty of the natural world in unconventional places. The tranquil scenes of towering trees, endless starry skies, and glassy waters inhabit the back of denim jackets and tote bags to turn the wearer into a mobile art gallery.
“I think painting on different surfaces is just another way to be creative with my artwork. I never like to limit the possibilities of what I can do with my art and like to try new things,” Kaparchuk tells My Modern Met. Having modeled since he was 19 years old, he sees the act of painting on clothing as a way to combine two things that have had a big impact on his life: art and fashion. “Not only that,” he adds, “but I just think it's an awesome concept to be able to wear a piece of artwork, not only have it decorating your walls at home.”
Based in Seattle, Kaparchuk is no stranger to the awe-inspiring beauty of the water and forests. While his acrylic paintings have a photo-like quality to them, the scenes are from his imagination. “The landscapes I paint symbolize feelings, people, and help others to see the beauty in the world,” he explains. “In order to do this, I like to use bright colors and exaggerate the scenery I paint, sometimes outlining my subjects in black to create even more contrast.”
Kaparchuk has a massive following on Instagram—nearly 800K people admire his work on the platform. This interest in his paintings provides him a lot of opportunities, some of which benefit those who admire his pieces but can't afford a bespoke commission. So if you'd love to rock one of his denim jackets, you’re in luck. “Right now,” he reveals, “I am working on painting on denim and am actually partnering with the clothing brand Brooklyn Cloth to have my own line of denim jackets made with my artwork printed on the back to make them more accessible to my audience.”
Self-taught artist Feliks Kaparchuk, aka ColorByFeliks, creates beautiful acrylic landscape paintings on jackets.
Watch him craft these pieces—including paintings on bags—in these fascinating process videos:
Feliks Kaparchuk: Website | Instagram | YouTube | Patreon
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Feliks Kaparchuk.
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