Liane Chan

Streetlights (2018)

acrylic on illustration board

7 x 6 inches

Inspired by the rainy streets of Japan, the composition depicts the flashy streetlights typically seen in entertainment districts in Asia. These entertainment districts play an integral role in modern Asian culture, as they are the center of Asian youth culture. The dense city blocks are filled with life and personality that allow Asian youth to feel free to express themselves. These streets are often times the birthplace of the latest fashion trends, such as the infamous Harajuku or Kabukicho.

Neon Signs (2018)

acrylic on illustration board

7 x 6 inches

Inspired by the rainy streets of Hong Kong. The idea behind this piece was to encapsulate the atmosphere and energy of the Temple Street Night Market; a popular flea market in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The night markets of Hong Kong are famous for their foods, which hold a significant role within Asian culture, as sharing food is seen as a sign of love and care. The colour design is based on the brilliant glow of neon signs, which is emphasized by the somber colours of a typical rainy night.

Paper Bag Study (2019)

acrylic on double weight mayfair

20 x 26 inches

Acrylic still life study of a paper bag, utilizing a variety of browns mixed from the three primaries and white. Beginning with a light wash of brown and slowly identifying the forms of the creases of the bag, I utilized descriptive brush strokes to slowly carve out the basic shape of the subject and its values.

Hayao Miyazaki (2016)

Charcoal on pastel paper

5 x 7 inches

Portrait of Japanese director, screenplay writer, and animator; Hayao Miyazaki. In my childhood, I was entranced by his film Spirited Away and his works continue to inspire me. This composition demonstrates the importance of representation for young Asian folk and having the opportunity to see successful people that look like them. Having an Asian role model that was successful in the arts played a significant role in my development as an artist and I aspire to become that role model for others.

Fabric Study (2019)

acrylic on double weight mayfair

20 x 26 inches

A drapery study using local colour and colour in shadows to describe depth of space and the folds of the fabric. Active brush strokes were applied in order to define the draping angles and texture of the fabric, as well as to develop a personal style. Complex tertiaries were mixed in place of black in order to create a more visually appealing palette.

Checkmate (2017)

ink on paper

3.6 x 5.6 inches

Illustration of a glass chess piece executed entirely in pointillism. This piece began by sketching out the form and its containing shapes. Starting by filling in the darkest shadows first, then slowly moving outwards in order to create a gradual shift in tone, I worked around the highlights to create a larger tonal range and accentuate the highlights.

Singularity (2018)

digital media

11 x 8.5 inches

A digital painting inspired by BTS’ song of the same title. The lyrics of Singularity reference the Greek myth of Narcissus, a hunter who had fallen in love with an image of himself reflected in a lake, not recognizing it to be himself and turning into a flower after recognizing that his love could never be reciprocated. The subject of this composition is the singer of Singularity who is surrounded by masks and holding a narcissus flower. The interpretation of this lyric is that one can mask their true emotions to the point of no longer recognizing themselves.

Forward, forward (2018)

Charcoal on pastel paper

9 x 6 inches

Portrait of Korean singer, songwriter, and music producer; Jeon Jeong-guk. This composition depicts a man cast in shadow, hair matted with sweat and looking forward. This is a commentary of the lack of opportunities for Asian folk as it illustrates how Asian folk must work harder in order to be recognized and validated in Western society.

The Great Sound Wave (2017)

acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 inches

An homage to Katsushika Hokusai's iconic print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The composition is a commentary on the value of Asian art forms as it also imitates the aesthetic of the Asian pop music industry by utilizing vibrant colours. After applying vibrant yellow and red tints, I gradually blended in somber shades of purple and green to create more contrast as well as to add more visual appeal.

Splash (2018)

Acrylic and charcoal on masonite

15 x 10 inches

The objective of this project was to pictorially express a verb or adjective in correlation to the word itself. This illustration is of the word splash, in which the letterforms are water droplets from a splashed puddle. This composition started with an exploration of various unconventional typefaces and letterforms, as well as being inspired by water distortion photography.

Wow thing (2019)

Watercolour on watercolour paper

9 x 12 inches

Portrait of Korean songwriter and rapper; Jeon So-yeon. After brief research and exploration into the beauty standards of East Asian women, it was found that many Asian women are highly criticized for their appearances and are held at extremely high standards. In opposition to this, the subject I chose for this piece is a woman who was harassed for not fitting into conventional Korean beauty standards. After her appearance on a Korean reality show, she was scrutinized for not looking like the other doll-like contestants.

Memphis Wannabe (2018)

Digital media

14 x 17 inches

This project is a non-objective illustration, utilizing contrast and gestalt. Upon exploring various techniques and styles, I found myself drawn towards more radical designs. Having always been inspired by the aesthetic of the 1980s, I felt inclined to pay homage to the artists behind the design phenomenon; the Memphis Group, and more specifically, Ettore Sottsass.

I started my process by sketching out my initial concepts and ideas, then gradually working towards more original and valuable designs. In order to organize my thoughts, I typically write any questions I may ask myself during my process work. After generating a fair amount of ideas, I begin to narrow down my best designs and create refined thumbnails before finalizing the design.

Boy in a Beret (2018)

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 inches

This piece was directly inspired by the distinctive styles of the post-impressionism movement. After sketching the basic forms in charcoal, I utilized broad brushstrokes to carve and block out the facial structure before slowly applying more painterly brushstrokes, evocative of Van Gogh’s works. The subject of this piece is TC Candler’s Most Handsome Face of 2017, Kim Taehyung. This composition is intended to challenge Western beauty standards, and calls attention to the beauty of “yellow” skin.

Fox (2019)

Graphite on bond paper

17 x 14 inches

The objective of this composition was to create a scientifically accurate illustration of a red fox. The fox is a common motif within Chinese and East Asian mythology, folklore and literature as mythological creatures possessing immortality and magical powers. In most folklore, fox spirits possess or appear as young, beautiful women in order to seduce or bewilder men. The moral of such tales is that beauty can cause the downfall of even the largest of dynasties.

© Liane Chan. All rights reserved.

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