HISTORY

In 1990, Chin Chin Tan’s career as an Artist was born out of the Apple Art Affair Exposition at her home country of Singapore. There she won top prize for the event. During the first several years, 1990-1993, Chin Chin began receiving other awards as well as exhibiting her work both in several Asian countries and extensively in Singapore.

The success of these early years prompted Chin Chin to seek additional educational opportunities. In 1994 she decided to expand her reach by traveling to London where she received her Post Graduate Diploma in Fine Arts Painting at Byam School of Art in 1995.  Although she remained focused on canvas painting during this time, her exposure to western cultural sensitivities expanded her use and application of materials.

1996 was a busy year for Chin Chin.  She held two solo exhibitions in Singapore and embarked on a Master of Fine Arts program at Parsons School of Design in New York.  By 1996, her first solo, held at Artfocus Gallery, was long awaited in Southeast Asia as her work had become well known and well exhibited.  The show was a huge success.  Her second solo show during that year, a required show from winning the Grand Prize UOB Painting of the Year Competition in 1995, was also a huge success. 

First Solo Exhibition, Artfocus Gallery, Singapore, 1996

As previously mentioned, in the fall of 1996 Chin Chin traveled to New York for her Master of Fine Arts Degree.  During these next two years her work saw extensive experimentation in both material and form. Through the influence of her surroundings she began making three-dimensional wall pieces, sculpture, and installation works.  These two years were a time of uninhibited trial and error where Chin Chin was able to access new materials and forms, which continue to influence her Art making to this day.

Couplet, Chin Chin Tan and Joseph Plitt at Zone One Contemporary Fine Art, Asheville, NC

Following her studies at Parsons, Chin Chin settled in Asheville, North Carolina where she eventually married a fellow Artist Joseph Plitt.  Together they exhibited their work in a 2 person show at Zone One Contemporary Art in Asheville. During the three years they lived in Asheville, Chin Chin continued making paintings and sculptures, which she exhibited with Joseph in Asheville and in her home country of Singapore.

In 2002, Chin Chin had the opportunity to return to Singapore in order to complete two commissioned corporate projects, first for the Singapore embassy in Brunei and secondly for the Le Meridien Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Viewing these works, one can see the results of the experimentation that took place in preceding years.  Specifically, the large-scale painting in Brunei uses multiple detached overlapping surfaces to create one large painting.

Completing two large-scale projects in Asia was an exciting and rewarding time for Chin Chin, but pales in comparison to what would come in 2003.  Just before Thanksgiving, now back in the US, Lucas Plitt was born.  Due to the life changing events of having a baby, Chin Chin and Joseph finally settled in North Carolina where they knew they could foster a loving environment for their child Lucas. 

The first several years of motherhood were different for Chin Chin as she intentionally made the decision to produce less Artwork as she focused her energy on creating a strong moral base for her child.  These years were trying at times as Chin Chin very much missed making Art and struggled with suppressing her creative ideas.  Looking back though she is very proud of her decision and can see influences in her work that would not be there had she not focused on her family at such an important time.

Chin Chin Tan's current studio in NC, USA

As Lucas grew and became more independent Chin Chin’s Artwork has gradually come back into focus.  In recent years she has completed numerous new works and continued exhibiting her work in Asia.  In 2009, Chin Chin was again very excited that her work was commissioned for the Crockford Tower in Sentosa, Singapore.  Her work was showcased in the hotel lobby with large paintings and in each of the guestrooms throughout the hotel.  

Now, 2011, she continues to make Art in her studio in North Carolina having no intention to slow her lifelong endeavor of being an Artist.