Keith Morant ~ In Loving Memory

Keith Morant, morantart.com, (April 14, 1944 – January 11, 2022) was an innovative and prolific painter for over 60 years. He was a multiple award-winning member of Manhattan Arts International for more than 20 years. 

Keith an internationally acclaimed artist, artist advocate and humanitarian who lived in Christchurch, New Zealand. The inimitable artist exhibited in galleries and art centers throughout the world. He received innumerable distinguished awards. 

“Songs for Remembrance Exhibition – A Memorial to Keith Morant” was presented at Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery in Christchurch in 2022.

Also Read A Loving Tribute to Keith From Fellow Artists 

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Elysium, mixed media on canvas, 36″ x 62″.

Keith created award-winning expressive oil and mixed media abstract paintings. His art has been characterized by unique curvilinear forms and symbols, contrasting colors, and vitality. Throughout his extraordinary art career he achieved a masterful handling of his medium with continuous innovation.

Awards and Humanitarianism
Keith’s many awards from Manhattan Arts International included an Award of Excellence in the Manhattan Arts International, “Hot Topics – Bold Expressions” juried exhibition, curated by James Bacchi, owner of Arthaus Gallery in San Francisco, CA. In 2015 Keith Morant won the Second Place Cash Award in the Manhattan Arts International “The Healing Power of ART” juried competition. The exhibition included his painting “Tonic”, a mixed media painting, 30″ x 30″, shown below.

In the exhibition Keith’s work won a top monetary award. When I informed Keith that he  received this award he did not want to accept the money. He immediately replied  with a request that I donate his cash award to a worthwhile artist’s charity of my choice — any organization that gives financial support to artists in need.

Keith Established the Morant Foundation
In 2017 Keith Morant established the Morant Foundation, a Trust based in Christchurch, New Zealand to facilitate and create a higher awareness of art and artists of New Zealand. He wrote, “Many fine creators in this region fail to gain due recognition for their work and it is our hope that, through exhibitions and promotion, we may create a greater awareness of their prowess.” The Morant Foundation was established to arrange exhibitions with no cost or commissions to the artist.

Parnassus, mixed media on canvas, 24″ x 36″.

Born in England, Keith Morant exhibited in London until 1973 when he moved to New Zealand and settled in Christchurch. He exhibited in numerous galleries and art centers in many major cities throughout the world, including New York, Tokyo, and London, to name a few. He also had many exhibitions in Italy. He exhibited at the Ateneo Museum, in Madrid, Ferrara, Bologna and twice in Venice.

Keith was an artist for over 50 years and received innumerable distinguished awards including the ‘Lifetime Achievement In Art’ award at the Florence Biennale, the ‘Palm International Art’ award, Leipzig, Germany and the “Peoples Choice Award” at an International exhibition in Bologna, Italy. He was also honored at the Premio San Valentino International Art Exhibition with the first prize, “President of the Republic’s Medal”.

Venetian, mixed media on canvas, 36″ x 48″.

Keith wrote, “My art is always a journey of discovery into the essence of being. It is an effort to externalize the truth of my own existence on as many levels as possible and communicate a greater awareness of the quality of life… For me, art is always an answer to which the question must be found.”

Keith had highly successful exhibitions with the Fo Guang Yuan Art Galleries in Christchurch and Auckland, New Zealand. These great shows were titled “Ringing True” and “Rhythm Of The World”. Over 600 works were exhibited and fine illustrated books were published with each exhibition. In 2019 Morant exhibited for the third time in his favorite city; Venice.

El Dorado, Mixed media on canvas, 36″ x 62″.

In 2015 Keith Morant won the Second Place Cash Award in the Manhattan Arts International “The Healing Power of ART” juried competition. When he  received this award he donated the money to an artists’ organization that gives financial support to artists in need.  He also won an Award of Excellence in the Manhattan Arts International, “Hot Topics – Bold Expressions” juried exhibition, curated by James Bacchi, owner of Arthaus Gallery in San Francisco, CA.

Sea Song, mixed media on canvas, 24″ x 36”.

In 2017 Morant established the Morant Foundation, a Trust based in Christchurch, New Zealand that facilitates and creates a higher awareness of art and artists of New Zealand.  He wrote, “Many fine creators in this region fail to gain due recognition for their work and it is our hope that, through exhibitions and promotion, we may create a greater awareness of their prowess.” The Morant Foundation arranges exhibitions with no cost or commissions to the artist. 

“The Longest Night” was a group show including nine artists presented at Eastside Gallery in Christchurch, New Zealand, to commemorate the solstice. This was the fourth exhibition to be underwritten by the Morant Foundation.

About his creative process Keith wrote, “When I begin a painting I know that, apart from a strong urge to create and a highly developed instinctual direction with tools and materials, there can be no specific design or plan for the picture as a finished product. Following a period of psychological and emotional incubation there emerges an overwhelming physical compulsion to project thought and emotion into material existence… In my work I try to emulate the power of music and evoke the universal through the specific.”

Banner image: Detail of Neural Dance, mixed media on canvas, 36″ x 62″. 

Visit Keith Morant’s website at morantart.com

Read Keith’s article “Quality in Art and The Artist’s Ego”.