PLAYING WITH FIRE BY•KINI

Fire is, to me, a fitting metaphor for this thing we call life. Fire is wild; fire is beautiful; fire can both create and destroy in the same instance. I also believe passion is the human body’s way of mirroring fire in the natural world. There are limitless possibilities that stem from a human soul on fire. What we can and cannot do is ultimately in our own hands. How passionate are we? How does our perception of life and ourselves impact our world? The way we look at things can ultimately be our guide or be the catalyst for our own destruction. This series of paintings uses fire as a motif, reflecting the strong emotions we endure as human beings. Over recent years, a fiery rage has been growing in my heart, waiting to eradicate anything keeping me from experiencing my love for life and all it has to offer. I believe all old paradigms and abusive systems will eventually go up in smoke, but the fire never truly stops burning. -KINI

Although he was born in Boston, Massachusetts, Paul Firmin lives and works in South Florida. Firmin’s painting style is primarily traditional with a modern perspective. Just before attending FGCU in 2014, he began working with acrylic paint. Since then, Firmin has almost completely transferred to working with oil on canvas. His work is a reflection of the spirit he witnesses in himself and others, through which he hopes to better connect the world. He has participated in numerous exhibitions across South Florida including Perspective Miami Showcase as Macaya Gallery (2017), TheVoidMiami (2017/2019), FGCU Student Juried Exhibition (2018), and more. He has received awards such as the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club of Excellence Award (2018), and the Robert Rauschenberg Residency Private Studio Tour Award (2018). Firmin ultimately earned his first solo show with Piano Craft Gallery in Boston, set for July 2022. Today, Firmin resides in South Florida where he was raised, and continues to paint whilst exploring new territories and mediums.