Artist Biography
Eric Chan (b. 1975, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, based in Singapore) uses painting to explore themes of transience, movement, presence and loss. Often rendered in a hyperrealistic manner, his portrayals of flora, fauna and human figures prompt viewers to consider questions of ‘objectness’ and representation, especially when painting begins to resemble photography.
Deepening this tension within the pictorial surface is Chan’s signature treatment of brushstroke and colour. Mimicking the appearance of looking through a diffused lens, the artist draws from photographic and filmic effects, dragging his brush to create blurred forms that simulate images taken with a slow shutter speed. This technique, demonstrated in works such as Pink Lightness (2001) and Red Flowers (2004), results in an alluring, atmospheric quality, evoking fleeting, ambiguous scenes suggestive of dreams and memories.
Chan received his Diploma in Fine Art from LASALLE College of the Arts in 1996, and his BFA and MFA in Painting from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1997 and 2000 respectively. His works can be found in numerous collections including the Singapore Art Museum and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore.
Notable exhibitions include Don’t Shoot The Painter (2015), Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Milan. Towards Beauty’s End (2005), Bathurst Regional Art Gallery; Towards Beauty’s End (2004), Queensland University Art Museum, Brisbane; and Footsteps (Jejak Langkah) (2004), National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur.
Chan had his residency at the STPI Workshop in 2005, resulting in the group exhibition BMW YAAS: Eric Chan, Heman Chong, Lieko Shiga, Natee Utarit and Yim Ja-Hyuk (2007).