grace tan

Grace Tan, 36, made an immediate splash in the worlds of design and fashion with Kwodrent, her series of handmade wearable artworks launched in 2003 – no surprise, as she is formally trained in fashion design. Attributing it to “the craftsman blood in [her]”, her work has gradually moved into the field of fine art.

refuge (2013), polypropylene loop pins, nylon cable ties, and monofilaments, dimensions variable
refuge (2013), polypropylene loop pins, nylon cable ties, and monofilaments, dimensions variable

The sculptural constructions she has gone on to make, using all manner of unconventional mediums from stainless steel sheets to polypropylene loop pins, embody that same fascination with materials. “I selected Grace for this beautiful sense of texture and materiality that she has brought over from fashion,” says curator of our Art & Design issue Dawn Ng.

n. 315 – Calcification (2014), acid-free cotton pulp watercolour paper with Kinpou gofu (oyster shell pigment), nikawa (cow hide glue) and archival EVA glue, dimensions variable
n. 315 – Calcification (2014), acid-free cotton pulp watercolour paper with Kinpou gofu (oyster shell pigment), nikawa (cow hide glue) and archival EVA glue, dimensions variable

She works on large-scale, site-specific installations, and has been commissioned by the Singapore Biennale, the Setouchi Triennale in Japan, and the 2013 President’s Young Talents. Her collaboration with architect Randy Chan, Building As A Body, won Design of the Year at the President’s Design Award 2012. Her latest work is her most accessible yet: a commissioned piece in all its geometric glory at the Downtown Line’s Little India Station.

Profile Photo Zaphs Zhang Art Direction Leyna Poh

An adapted version first appeared in Female’s January issue.

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