When Glen Wilks says that art is his passion, he speaks from a place of unfathomable depths.

“I spend every waking hour in the presence of art,” he said, “Whether it be in the current canvas I am creating, my photographic images for which I am less known, the cutting edge music which is my constant companion, the artistry I perform on clients in the salon, or the ever-evolving artwork in the salon/gallery - Kafu.

“I am constantly assimilating and absorbing art through everyday life, travel, music or other artist work in different genres.”

Mr. Wilkes, who was born in Jamaica, in 1963, has been creating art since he was five-years-old.

“By the time I attended the Vere Technical High School, I knew with conviction that art would become a central feature of my life,” he said.

“Upon leaving high school, I attended the College of Arts Science and Technology in Jamaica, an experience that deepened my love of the arts.

“In 1985, I left Jamaica for the UK where I concentrated on developing my skills as a stylist, garnering a reputation for edgy, but classic haircuts - a reputation that would ultimately bring me to the shores of Bermuda in 1987.”

Now some 18 years later and thousands of miles away, he has emerged as one of Bermuda's most recognised contemporary artists.

He has been the subject of many articles and identifying with non-representational abstract expressionist art.

“My large canvasses reflect the vibrancy and colours of the Caribbean,” said the artist who has been selected every year since 1998 for the Bacardi Biennial Exhibition.

“I've had three solo exhibitions and I have exhibited every year since 1989, except 1999 when I instead went to San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico to reconnect by disconnecting.”

Mr. Wilks said for this two weeks he “just painted and absorbed the local vibe”.

“This is an amazing accomplishment given the demands of running a busy salon,” he said, “But I struggle with trying to find a happy balance between the development of my craft and the advancement of my art. “Where there is no singularity of focus, development is stunted.

“I am confident about my role as an artist, but I need to work more - get more deeply immersed in it. How to do that here, is something I've still got to figure out.”

Mr. Wilks thanks the omnipresent spirits for guiding him throughout his life and for finding ways of encouraging the next generation of artists.

“The universe has blessed me with the role of guiding my three children on their journey,” he said. “I hope they become architects for change and through their efforts make a mark that leaves the world a little better than they found it.

“Education is something no one can take away. To live without limitation or fear, that they grow with the knowledge that they are connected with all things and that their power and that of the universe is one and the same.

“And also that they do not allow themselves to be blindly conditioned by the dictates of their environment. But, I would rather do, than wish, and to that end I use my powers to ensure that they chart a journey through life as is their destiny and not one dictated by others.

“If as parents we spent more time keeping out, instead of keeping up, then we would stay more connected to our children. We can encourage them by examining how we live, by teaching by example to not measure success only in material terms and to emphasise the power and beauty of following your passions.”

Mr. Wilks said he was not particularly fond of talking about himself, but to the extent that what he puts down is filtered through him.

“It has my DNA,” he said.

“In a way, I want my art to be multi-dimensional, to be primordial and primitive with a mysterious life, a truth that discloses itself only through intense examination - sort of somewhere between Rachel Whiteread's spaces and Frank Gehry's buildings.

“They justify themselves with a sense of iconic commentary, to infuse that with lots of colour and texture and to stand up to the force of all that on an emotive level.

“I want you to participate in the process, to ask yourself questions and to venture where you would not normally go, to examine your relationship to the space you occupy.

“I am less concerned with people understanding the work, its how they feel that matters most to me. Sensation, feeling, belief, attachment and knowledge is what all artists strive for - Miles and Bob, Jimi and Picasso, those artists achieved that, but they took no prisoners.

“Each man's journey, however is his own so I try to be true to my own.”

His thoughts on creating a more vibrant art community are that “there is insufficient dialogue in the local art community, but there is not enough opportunity for artists to feed off the collective energy of their peers, so you get works that are almost like archaeological pieces removed from their environment.

“Without the science or the story, they lose their historic or archaeological value. Art and artists need the same things - people committed to moving art and the artist forward so that the artist is not left to validate his work with his words after the fact.”

Mr. Wilks defines himself as many thing and he said: “I am son of man, god child, child of the universe.

“I am both known and unknown, everything and nothing, but the collective energy of the light I reflect. I am the revealer.”