Born in Singapore, David Chan (b. 1979) graduated from LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts in 2003 and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2004. Participating in exhibitions since 1998, Chan held his first solo exhibition, ‘Genetic Wonderland’, in 2004. In 2009, he took part in the 2nd Animamix Biennial in Taipei, Shanghai and Beijing. In 2004, Chan was the winner of the 23rd UOB Painting of the Year Exhibition (Representational Medium).Chan gained notable attention in 2004 with his series of paintings of modified animals and hybrid human-animals that explored the issue of genetic engineering. Subsequently, Chan’s chimeras became commentaries on urban lifestyles and behaviour. Here, a toddler whose body is paired with a cat’s head, is surrounded with small and cute reproductions of everyday objects and, sinisterly, instruments of violence, such as a machine gun. Yet, as this is presented in a highly aestheticized manner, the threat of violence is made remote by the toy-packaging presentation.
