24 February, 2026

Teen artist follows own path into parents’ world

With professional artists for parents, 19-year-old North Shore resident Deng Tian Kai has a lot to live up to creatively speaking, but is forging his own distinctive style. And they couldn’t be happier for him.
The former Westlake Boys High School student (pictured) is having his debut exhibition of paintings – featuring portraits and floral works – at Lake House Arts in Takapuna.
Father Deng Xin Li and mother Xie Yi say despite his lifelong exposure to art and trying a class while at school, it was only a year or so ago that his talents emerged. “He started to do painting. We were surprised,” says Xin Li. “He did a series of work and was developing his own techniques.”
This became more apparent over months in which Kai’s self-taught expressive brushwork became more confident and complex.
Kai draws on interests in history, politics and philosophy, with some of the works featuring well-known figures. “Because famous people are interesting,” he says.
Before exhibiting, he had already sold around 10 of his paintings, including a portrait of Donald Trump. The show includes images of Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and also pop culture figures, such as comic book character The Joker, along with more abstract faces. He says he likes to find beauty in his subject matter.

Like many emerging artists, Kai isn’t easily drawn on his aims and inspirations.
“As an artist he has his own style. That’s very important,” says Yi, who like her husband was trained in Chinese art academies and has exhibited internationally and in New Zealand.
Xin Li said they had to adjust to seeing their son’s more free-form approach.
But on a visit to Beijing, where they often return and retain a studio, a well-known Chinese critic told them Kai was able to paint the way he did precisely because he didn’t go to art school.
Although Kai was born in New Zealand, his parents – who first came here more than 25 years ago – took him back to Beijing for around 10 years while he was still at school.
They exhibit annually in the Chinese capital and also show in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Yi’s contemporary paintings have also feartured at Orexart gallery in Ponsonby and Xin Li, who paints and does installations, showed at the Lake House two years ago. Returning there as proud parents is something they look forward to sharing with friends, family and the wider community.
For his exhibition Beautiful World, which runs until 26 February, Kai has 27 paintings on show in the Becroft gallery, selected from more than 50 works.
A special function on Sunday 22 February includes a Chinese tea ceremony (bookings required). See lakehouse.arts.co.nz.

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