Grace Tan

Grace Tan (b. 1979; Malaysia) began her practice in 2003 under the kwodrent series to explore wearable fabric structures based on the study of rectangles and construction methods. Her interest in material and construction led her wearable works to evolve into sculptural objects and site-specific installations. Geometry is another key influence. The works are also distinguished by tactile nuances that accentuate matter and form.

Tan was awarded the President's Design Award for Building as a Body in 2012 and the Young Artist Award in 2013. In 2015, GROUND, her collaborative entry with FARM Architects, was selected for National Gallery Singapore’s art connector project.

Tan has presented her works at S.E.A. Focus (2020), Inside Out Sydney (2017), Singapore Biennale (2013), Setouchi Triennale(2013), State of Design in Melbourne (2008 - 2010), Singapore Design Festival (2007), London Design Week (2006) and Aichi World Expo (2005). Solo exhibitions include the commission of n. 355 – natural progression for Raffles in Southeast Asia exhibition at Asian Civilisations Museum (2019), A Common Thread: Archiving a Practice at FOST Gallery Singapore (2018), Materials and Method at POLA Museum Annex Tokyo (2018), the truth of matter at FOST Gallery Singapore (2015) and kwodrent: working processat FOST Gallery Singapore (2008). Selected group exhibitions include Discrete Encoding and In Random Order at FOST Gallery Singapore (2019), Shapes in Symmetry at Nanyang Technological University ADM Gallery (2018), And of such things at Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore (2016), The Measure of Your Dwelling: Singapore as Unhomed at ifa Gallery Berlin (2015), Erasure: From Conceptualism to Abstraction at Osage Gallery Hong Kong (2014) and President’s Young Talents at Singapore Art Museum (2013).

In recent years, Tan has worked on large public art commissions in Singapore such as Woven Field at Downtown Line Little India Station (2015), PLANES and CURRENTS at Marina One (2017), SYMMETRY at DUO (2017) and n. 333 – State of Equilibrium at Raffles City (2018). Her works are in the collection of private and corporate collectors, as well as institution such as POLA Museum, Japan.

Grace Tan lives and works in Singapore and is represented by FOST Gallery, Singapore.