Michael Kees was born in Vicksburg, Ms and raised in Cajun city Lafayette, Louisiana. He had humble upbringings and was forced to learn independence at a young age because his mother always worked two jobs. At the young age of 2 years old Michael was already being described by those around him as a genius. He was accepted into a private catholic school in Jackson, Ms after passing an assessment at the age of 5 years old, but Michael would never attend the school because his mother left his father and moved the family to Louisiana. This too would be a beginning of something Michael could not have imagined even himself. Michael’s mother was invited by her older brother William to join he and his family in the small town of Lafayette, La.

          “Sometimes destiny just falls into your lap by the grace of God.”

          What makes Michael Kees paintings different is the depth of knowledge he has about conveying light and shadow through color.

Unlike his uncles William Tolliver and Kennith Humphrey, both themselves masterful at color usage, Michael was not self-taught but actually studied architecture at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and Electrical Engineering at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

          Michael says “I’ve always liked William Tolliver and Jacob Lawrence. Those artists present a talent that seems to thrive on creativity. I don’t like to paint things as the world sees them …I like to paint things the way I see them in my head. That is what made studying architecture so hard for me because with all the potential for creativity there are still really strict guidelines that you have to follow… for the most part I studied Tolliver and Lawrence as much as I could and eventually it transformed into progressive versions of their styles and I think that makes my work unique”

          Michael Kees paintings seem to jump off the canvas at you, and they almost seem deserving of the special favor they receive from most first time collectors. He is currently in start- up stages of opening his first gallery in Stone Mountain, Ga along with his wife Lace Lawrence-Kees and their newborn son Maddox.

His work has been in private collections for years and the collectors seeking his work seem to double every month. Although his style is becoming one of the most recognizable in the African American art industry he maintains a humble attitude when asked how he feels about his new found success.

“I just want to be able to eat … I wouldn’t do this if I couldn’t feed my family …..I am not like most artists who do it strictly for the love of it… I have to be able to eat and keep a roof over my head ….so If I felt that I couldn’t survive painting then I would definitely be doing something else”