28-01-2021
Internationally renowned Chinese jewellery artist Wallace Chan will amaze the world with his less-known talent in sculpture at his first major sculpture exhibition in Venice of Italy from 14 May to 31 October 2021.
Titled ‘Titans: A dialogue between materials, space and time’, the exhibition curated by James Putnam will feature a series of massive titanium and iron sculptures together with a substantial installation composed of titanium and mirrored stainless steel. The gigantic exhibits unveil the artist’s contemplation on the relationship between materials, space and time.
Wallace Chan is a self-trained artist famed for his groundbreaking use of materials. Titanium, for instance, the strongest, most durable and lightweight metal often disheartened by interested jewellers owing to its cost and complication, has meticulously transformed into magnificent jewellery under the exquisite craftsmanship of Chan. The free-standing sculpture ‘A Dialogue between Materials and Time’ strides a step further by juxtaposing between the lightness and durability of the metal with iron’s weightiness and susceptibility to corrosion.
“I juxtaposed titanium and iron beams and gave them faces and shapes so that they would stand as something monumental and poetic. The iron beams will rust in a few hundred years. The titanium will outlive the iron beams. Both materials will outlive me. My time, and the lifespan of iron and titanium are measured against one another. Time is at once terribly short yet interminably long. It encompasses everything,” says Chan.
Inspired by his celebrated gem-carving technique ‘Wallace Cut’ developed in the 1980s, Chan uses light and reflection in the site-specific installation ‘A Dialogue between Materials and Space’ to create a unique spatial effect, exploring the illusion of space inside non-space.
Curator James Putnam says: “The combination of the free-standing sculptures and site-specific installation reveal Chan’s fascination with perception and the refraction of light and, in this context, the unique quality of ‘Venetian light’ - the wonderful reflection of the sun on the water that inspired the great Venetian Renaissance painters.”
Details of the exhibition and associated events will be announced later. (Photo courtesy: Wallace Chan)
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