The sources for An Gee Chan’s work are fleeting scenes observed from everyday life, dark or absurd episodes from her dreams and comic vignettes played out in her head. These translate into raw, intuitive screenprints in which reality and fantasy are mixed.
Her prints and paintings freeze-frame moments of doubt, insecurity and fear; feeling awkward, out of your depth, misunderstandings with language. But Chan also delights in such cultural confusions, particularly to do with English sayings, aphorisms and phrases.
She has an instinctive way of composing stories with colour. Her work on paper, canvas, hoardings and ceramics play with scale, mixing up small and large, real and fantastical, “I like to see my characters in ‘big format’ so people can see them from afar.” Chan’s cinematic, cartoon-like murals have made temporary interventions on several London streets and her recent public artwork for Hong Kong’s Tai Kwun Museum is her first large-scale monoprint.
Born in Hong Kong in 1987
Lives and works in London, Dublin and Hong Kong
Education
2008 – 2011 MA Printmaking, Royal College of Art, London
2006 – 2009 BA, Illustration & Animation, Kingston University
Solo Exhibitions
2022
Tomorrow is another day, Odd One Out Gallery, Hong Kong
In the meantime, 55 Squared Tai Kwun, Hong Kong
2019
Vessel of the day, Unit Gallery, Hong Kong
2018
Go On Without Me, Tintype, London
An Gee’s experimentation in Printmaking, ACO bookstore, Hong Kong
2016
From There to Here, CCA Gallery, Hong Kong
Stress Me Out, Odd One Out Gallery, Hong Kong
2015
When You’re Not Around, Tintype, London
2012
The Back of Your Head, Tintype, London
Lazy Faces: Blood Orange, The Last Refuge, London
2011
Artist of the Day, Flowers Gallery, Cork Street, London
An Gee Chan: Project Space 2011, Tintype, London
2010
Battersea Better See – commissioned hoarding project, Royal College of Art, London
Some of Them, Hockney Gallery, Royal College of Art, London
Two Person Exhibitions
2020
Artist and Photographer Series X; Allegro – A Conversation, An Gee Chan and Blues Wong, Lumemvisum, Hong Kong
Passing Time, An Gee Chan and Justin Larkin, Art and Cultural Outreach, Hong Kong
Group Exhibitions
2022
a Time, AVA Gallery, Hong Kong
Nothing Like the Taste of Print, Hanart TZ Gallery, Hong Kong
Intalgio Print Drop, virtual exhibition
Why Print? 3, KC100 Art Space, Hong Kong
Fai Chun Show, Odd One Out Gallery, Hong Kong
2021
Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2021, London
AVA For All, AVA Gallery, Hong Kong
Art Horizon 20 Print!, Hong Kong Visual Art Centre
AVA Print Club, AVA Gallery, Hong Kong
2020
The Dimension of Living: A house is…, JCCAC Gallery, Hong Kong
20 20 Hong Kong Art Print, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong
Drawing as the core, CVA Koo Ming Kown Gallery, Hong Kong
Besides Painting, AVA Gallery
More Gravy!, Tintype, London
Why Print? 2, Open Ground Gallery, Hong Kong
2019
The Darkest Dark, PMQ, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Fine Print, HART Hall at HQueen’s, Hong Kong
Daily Activities, a screen-printing exhibition, Hong Kong Open Printshop
2018
Good Times – small print show, Odd One Out Gallery, Hong Kong
2017
2017 MI-LAB AIR Program Participants Exhibition: Artists from Advanced Program, CfSHE Gallery, Tokyo
Ill-ustration, CVA Koo Ming Kown Gallery, Hong Kong
MI-LAB AIR Program Participants Exhibition: Artists Sharing, CfSHE Gallery, Tokyo
8Over8, Rossi and Rossi Gallery, Hong Kong
Contemporary Perspective in Printmaking, Mall Galleries, London
Jealous Gallery Project, The Hoxton Hotel, Paris
Odd One Out Gallery – Affordable Art Fair 2017, Hong Kong
Art Interaction Hong Kong @ Taiwan – Art Match group 22nd Annual Exhibition, JCCAC Gallery, Hong Kong
2015
Odd One Out Gallery – Affordable Art Fair 2015, Hong Kong
Jealous Gallery – London Print Fair, Royal Academy, London
Jealous Gallery – London Art Fair
2014
The Jealous Graduate 2014 – Artist Edition and Print Gallery, Saatchi Gallery, London
The idea of Happiness – Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London
Fotanian Open Studios 2014, CC Studio, Hong Kong
The end is where we start from, Slate Projects, London
2013
Small is beautiful XXXI – Flowers Gallery, Kingsland Road London
The idea of Happiness – UCLH Arts, London
Well Hung? Summer Show – Jealous Gallery, London
The London Group 2013 Centenary Open Exhibition – The Cello Factory, London
The Jealous Graduate 12/13 – Jealous Gallery, London
RCA Secret Postcard – Royal College of Art, London
Jealous Gallery- at London Art Fair 2013, Business Design Centre, London
2012
RUA Red Winter Open, Dublin, Ireland
Bite, Artists Making Prints, Mall Galleries, London
The London Original Print Fair, Jealous Gallery, London
Jealous Pop-Up Studio, Heals, London
Double Take – the Art of Printmaking, Studio 3 Gallery, Kent University, Canterbury
London Art Fair 2012, Jealous Gallery, London
2011
Small is Beautiful XXVIII, Flowers Gallery, Cork Street, London
Folio Exhibition, Royal College of Art, London
Re-make/Re-model, Chelsea Future Space, London
Multiplied Contemporary Editions Fair, Christie’s South Kensington, London
Jealous Graduate Print Prize 2011 – 12, London
Artist of the Day, Group Show, Flowers Gallery, Cork Street, London
Show 2011, Royal College of Art, London
Spritz, Tintype at Simons Muirhead & Burton, London
Folio, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon
CMYOK!, Café Gallery, London
2010
RCA Secret Postcard, Royal College of Art, London
Bad things that could happen, Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes, London
Anything I can do you can do better, Café Gallery, London
MMX, Royal College of Art, London
2009
RCA Secret Postcard, Royal College of Art, London
D&AD New Blood Show, London
Fresh Meat, Shoreditch Town Hall, London
Fresh Meat, Kingston University, London
2008
The London Exhibition, Tokyo
Commissions
2013
Preparing for the Dinner, mural, Tintype Gallery, London
2012
Pop up Studio window display, Jealous Gallery at Heals, London
2010
Battersea Better See, hoarding project, Royal College of Art
You are more important than I thought, mural, Tintype Gallery
Awards and Residencies
In the Meantime, 55 Squared Tai Kwun, Hong Kong, 2022
Artist in Residence Award, Runner-Up prize, Black Church Print Studio, Ireland
Beers Contemporary Vision 7, 2016
100 Painters of Tomorrow shortlist, Thanes & Hudson, 2013
IMMA artists residency shortlist, IMMA Museum, Dublin, 2013
RUA Red Winter Open, shortlisted, 2012
Bite: Artists Making Prints, shortlist, 2012
Jealous Graduate Prize, 2011
Conran Award shortlist, 2011
Bite: Artists Making Prints, shortlist, 2011
Publications
An Gee, An Gee – the work of An Gee Chan, published by MCCM Creations, 2018, texts by Adam Dant, Cherry Smyth, Jo Stockham
Hong Kong Arts Development Council, 2020
Passing Time – a story by An Gee Chan and Justin Larkin, project supported by JCCAC’s Professor Mayching Kao Arts Development Fund
Artist and Photographer Conversation Series X:Allegro An Gee Chan and Blue Wong. published by Lumemvisum, Hong Kong, 2020
Litro Magazine, Front cover, 2014
Future Projects, Aldgate Press, 2011
Re-make/Re-model, Chelsea Space, 2011
This Is It magazine, Issue 5, 2009
Lemon magazine, 2007
Collections
Victoria & Albert Museum Permanent Print Collection, UK
Government Art Collection, UK
Fiorucci Collection
Hong Kong Heritage Museum