The Old Vitoria Harbour - Hong Kong 1930 Print

Alan Sik Kyin Chan was born in Guangzhou, China in 1945 and resided in Hong Kong with his parents when he was five. Having grown up in a full of life and multicultural city, Chan has always been fascinated by the images that emerged in varying forms with dynamic colors, such as Dragon Boats racing in the misty sea in the fishing village, or a hair-raising scene of a Jumbo Jet landing crossing the roofs at Kowloon's Kai Tak Airport. These images are often formed in random and at times poetic and graceful. Chan believes it is how the world is represented that is perceived directly by human senses and may then be metamorphosed into art concepts through the artist's abstract thinking. This practice has been reflected in one of his recent works “Les Parapluies” (Umbrellas) which was the main focus of his 2016 solo exhibition in Hong Kong. “My piece has nothing to do with the ideology behind the ' Umbrella Movement ',” he responded when being asked for the motivation by which the artwork was created. “My piece has nothing to do with the ideology behind 'The Umbrella Movement ',” he responded when being asked for the motivation by which the artwork was created “I only see there is an immense scene of a tremendous number of colorful umbrellas that are in motion, and I am aware of a once in a lifetime opportunity to capture a critical instance from an unprecedented aesthetic phenomenon.” Self-taught, Chan began painting as a means of self-satisfaction. Nevertheless, he took museums and art galleries that he frequently visited as alternative classrooms. He received education in Hong Kong, Taiwan, then France where he was finally settled down and started his career as an architect in Paris. In most of the spare time, Chan devoted himself to his passion for painting. His work has been exhibited in Paris, Belmont, New York, San Mateo, and Vienna. Chan is also the author of "The Charms of Jade”, “An Autumn in Paris”, “Les Cerfs-Volants” and others. After retiring from his career in 2006, Chan kept up his spirit with art creativities. His first Hong Kong exhibition was held in Summer 2016, and the premier volume of his art book series "When Face to Face with a Modern Art" was launched in the same year.