A man locked in a cage hardly sounds like great inspiration for an art show about self-discovery, but for artist Glen Wilks it was exactly that.

Mr. Wilks? new show ?Man Builds Cage? opens at the Masterworks Gallery at the Botanical Gardens tomorrow with ten new pieces and several older works. The medium is acrylic mixed media on canvas.?

The inspiration evolved from my installation piece in the BNG Biennial exhibition ?Man Builds Cage man locks himself inside man throws away key?.? said Mr. Wilks.

?That piece resonated in a very profound way with many people.

?I think there are parallels between doing artistic work and the daily journey of self-discovery. The whole idea is for the work to act as sort of a catalyst for self-realisation.?

Mr. Wilks said his recent shows have been mainly installation work, but with this show it is mainly paintings plus a film projection.

Mr. Wilks was born in Jamaica, in 1963, and has been creating art since he was five years old. He attended the College of Arts Science and Technology in Jamaica, an experience that reportedly deepened his love of the arts.

?In 1985, I left Jamaica for the UK where I concentrated on developing my skills as a hair stylist, garnering a reputation for edgy, but classic haircuts ? a reputation that would ultimately bring me to the shores of Bermuda in 1987,? said Mr. Wilks who now works for the Kafu hair and art studio in Hamilton.

He has been selected many times for the Bacardi Biennial Exhibition.

?The creative process started from birth and hopefully will continue after death as long as I am able through my work to touch some lives,? he said.

?I think that is the main purpose, to impact lives positively, to reveal truths, to speak to the human condition not necessarily with words, to follow this inspiration where it takes me.?

The show opens on Friday from 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. at Masterworks Gallery and runs until October 21.

Mr. Wilks will be on hand at a Meet the Artist events at Masterworks on October 8 from 3 to 5 p.m. and October 9 from 5 to 7.30 p.m.