CV
Artist Statement
Chan Wan Kyn is a visual artist and engineer who draws inspiration from the intangible elements of his surroundings, such as negative space, light, and human connection. Central to his practice is the belief that space is not passive but actively shapes and enriches our everyday experiences. Expressing his concepts through a variety of mediums and multidisciplinary approaches, his works take on myriad forms, from sculptural forms and immersive installations to digitally generated works. With each iteration, he allows his pieces to evolve over time, exploring different methods and processes to propose new paradigms and perspectives that encourage a deeper sensitivity to both the literal and figurative environments of his audience.
His installations, such as Tabula Rasa (2012) sought to draw out a childlike wonderment as audiences experience light-filled spaces designed to evoke curiosity and awareness of their immediate surroundings. The performative documentation lux (2021) became a catalyst for his ongoing explorations in data collection, later developed in D15 (2022) and City in Aether (2023). The latter extended his practice into participatory creation, where international contributors shared personal data to co-create a parametric city of the future. Through digital techniques, Wan Kyn translates spatial data — from environments such as the Singapore F1 Grand Prix — into physical works like Penumbra (2025), while uncovering hidden narratives within familiar locales, such as his childhood neighbourhood, through engraved acrylic pieces like Isochron Imprinting (2025).
A member of the pioneer class of the School of the Arts, Singapore (SOTA), Wan Kyn exhibited early works at the Singapore Art Museum: 8Q (2009). He later pursued studies in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, graduating with both a B.Sc (2019) and M.Sc (2021), with the aim of bridging the arts and STEM disciplines. He was the only student commissioned to produce two immersive installations for Purdue University’s Boiler Gold Rush 2022 orientation programme. Wan Kyn is a recipient of the 2023 Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize and the first Singaporean resident of VISIONS: Singapore–France Emerging Artist Residency Programme. His works have been presented at SAW 2023 Urban Screens, iLight Singapore (2012, 2023), Bangkok Thonburi University, Art Outreach Singapore, INSTINC, LOY Contemporary, and The Arts House @ The Old Parliament.
Overall, Wan Kyn’s artistic process is one of continual evolution — an open-ended exploration that adapts and transforms over time. Through his work, he hopes to inspire his audiences to re-examine their relationships with space, light, and data, finding resonance within the intangible and, in turn, discovering a part of himself through them.
Solo Exhibitions
2025 Para//els, INSTINC, SingaporeGroup Exhibitions
2025 60/60: Singapore In Focus, INSTINC, Singapore (Upcoming)
Quantum Perspective: The Art of Interference, The Arts House @ The Old Parliament, Singapore SG60: To Build a Swing, LOY Contemporary Art Gallery, Singapore
2024 IMMERSIO, GMBB, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
this particular place, Hearth by Art Outreach, Singapore
Public-Private, Bangkok Thonburi University, Bangkok, Thailand
Bring Your Own Arduino BYOA, Playpan Peace Centre, Singapore
2023 MeshMinds 3.0: ArtxTechforGood, ArtScience Museum, Singapore
Day 白| Night夜, INSTINC Gallery, Singapore
iLight Singapore 2023, Singapore
Matters of The Yard, Parklane Shopping Mall Level 8 Carpark, Singapore
你是特别的！You are special!, Art Porters, Singapore
Code Switch, Cosmic Market, Singapore
NFTAsia Urban Screens, Singapore Art Week 2023 , Singapore
2022 Seongsu NFT Festival CULTUR3 CR3ATORS, Seoul, South Korea
D:Art Festival ‘22: IGNITE THE FUTURE, INSTINC, Singapore
Purdue University Boiler Gold Rush 2022, Purdue University, Indiana, USA
Purdue University Boiler Gold Rush 2022, Purdue University, Indiana, USA
EyeMyth Festival, Virtual Exhibition, India
2021 DUNA Project 11th Edition, Project DUNA, Dialogue and Takeover, Brazil/Bacelona
Co-Arts Gallery, Virtual Exhibition, Zine and Artist Talk, USA
Chinatown Futures, Zine, New York City, New York, USA
2017 -97.076585 40.408170, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
2016 11th Emerging Artist Exhibition, Chicago, Illinois, USA
2012 iLight Singapore 2012, Singapore
Redefining Material, School Of The Arts, Singapore
\/ / /\ (Graduation Exhibition), School Of The Arts, Singapore
2011 2nd Small Sculpture Show, Sculpture Square, Singapore
Works-in-Progress, School Of The Arts, Singapore
2010 Early College Program, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Inaugural Arts Festival, School Of The Arts, Singapore
2009 Delicate, Singapore Art Museum (SAM) 8Q, Singapore
Abstractus, Singapore Art Museum (SAM) 8Q, Singapore Anime Festival Asia: Harumika Design Exhibition, SingaporeResidencies
2024 VISIONS: A Singapore-France Emerging Artist in Residency, Fondation Fiminco, Paris, France2023 Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize Art x Tech Accelerator Programme2022 INSTINC D:Art Festival - Residency and Exhibition, Singapore
Talks and Speaking Engagements
2025 Quantum is Everywhere, The Italian Embassy, Singapore
Crisis Within Crisis: Perspectives through Art, Bangkok Thonburi University, Bangkok, Thailand
BYOB: Notes from Elsewhere, Tusitala, Singapore
2024 An Introduction to Arduino, School Of The Arts, Singapore
NTU Art, Design and Media - Guest Critic, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Synergy: Art Tech Fringe Event, Figment Clubhouse, Singapore
2023 Data and Design for a Sustainable Future, National Design Centre, Singapore
Julius Bär B2B Asset Managers Event, ArtScience Museum, Singapore
Julius Bär Singapore Young Partners' Programme Fireside Chat, Four Seasons, Singapore
iLight Singapore 2023 Light Forum, Red Dot Design Museum, Singapore
狮城有约｜艺新艺异：生成式艺术, MediaCorp Channel 8, Singapore
2021 NFTs: Websites, Experience & Artists, Purdue University, AD334: New Media Art & Culture, IN USARecognition and Awards
2023 Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize Winner 2023
2022 INSTINC D:Art Festival – Top 3 Artists
2021 Purdue Fusion Studio – A Warm Light for All, $2,500 Grant Awardee
Purdue Fusion Studio – Bistable Embrace, $2,500 Grant Awardee
2011 Artwork presented as token of appreciation to Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore