Opening party on 10th April in the presence of the artist.
Malaysian-born artist Eric Chan is one of the rising stars of the Singapore art scene. Already fast-gaining recognition within Asia, Chan is regarded as one of the finest painters of his generation. Precociously accomplished yet harbouring a distinctive sensibility, Chan’s vision and confidence surpass his years.
This new series, entitled Fine Displacement, heralds a significant shift in subject matter for Chan and depicts large scale, reverse negative portraits in somber monochromes. Using images taken from 13th to 18th century western masterpieces, Chan updates them to the 21st century through his skillful palette selection and his signature blurring of the brushstroke. Each image is composed of subtle, layering strokes and veils of colour that leave the finished work seemingly radiating, as if viewed through a diffused lens.
At first glance Chan’s work references the visual language of Richter, Polke, de Stael and even early Mondrian. His work is very much centered on surface narrative yet the surface is completely flat with no hint of impasto. Backgrounds of reds, golds and terracottas are worked upon using limes, acid yellows and hot pinks. The final layers of Chan’s muted palette of greys, whites and black offer no clue to the riot of colours that lie beneath and yet it is these base colours that give the finished work it’s resonating, pulsating energy.
The works in Fine Displacement reveal the artist’s growing maturity, exposing a tinge of vulnerability while conveying deeper emotional resonance. The paintings are more haunting, lonely and contemplative than ever before, the sense of absence versus presence is even more powerful. Through these paintings, Eric Chan lures the eye into the private world of his images, slowing down time, captivating us and inviting us to linger a little longer.
Trained at LASALLE-SIA College of Arts, Singapore, Chan went on to complete his formal studies with both a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art, graduating with distinction in painting, and a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). Since graduating in 2000 he has held exhibitions in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Australia. He has taken up art residencies and won several awards including the Philip Morris Jurors’ Choice Award in 2002. His work is also featured in the Contemporary Art auctions of Christies and Sotheby’s. Eric Chan currently lectures at LASALLE-SIA College of Arts and is based in Singapore.
Eric Chan will be present at the cocktail reception on 10th April 2008.
