Iamikan's artwork lines walls of Core Consciousness

The work of Iamikan Courts honors the magic and mystery of nature.

While living in Turkey, Courts would mix paint with seawater, salt crystals and natural dyes and use the Earth as a painting material.

Since then, he has been perfecting the formulas he uses as an art medium with equations and calculations, altering the properties of the original substance.

"We are all magicians. I let the results speak for themselves. No need to break down the synchronicity of what you are doing, that takes away all the magic of what art is anyhow. Nature continues to be the greatest magician to mankind," he said.

Having never picked up a paint brush, the self-taught artist works in solitude as he uses his hands to apply oil, acrylic, natural materials and a substantial amount of resin to create a final product.

Courts said the most difficult part of the process is having the medium adhere to one of the many surfaces he uses: glass, canvas, steel, wood, pressed paper and acrylic glass.

His latest creations are inspired by geodes, what Courts calls "crystallized motion."

Shattered glass, paint and resin develop over time. Each piece is an original and can take up to one year to complete.

For Courts, each painting maintains a sacred, mystical quality by spending three months in complete darkness, allowing the formulas to harden, stabilize and exist "without the influence of perception."

"Even now, there is still an evolution of the nature of these pieces. There is crystallization in these pieces that will continue to evolve," he said. "It's not just a painting on a wall where it is a still frame. For me, they are all highly charged."

Courts work is showcased exclusively at the Art of Core Consciousness Gallery, 29 Broad St. in downtown Charleston.

more info

Website: www.Iamikan.com.

Contact Info: Courtsart@gmail.com, 323-8341.

Birth place: Charleston, W.Va.

Residence: Downtown Charleston, 2 years.

Goals: My goal is to extend the experience of infinite possibility through my expression of artistic originality.

Career: Actor, musician, designer, artist.