Irene Chan at Myren Gård
Photo: Sidsel Jørgensen
Chapter Zero, a project about nothingness by Irene Chan
Artist in Resident- Irene Chan
Agder Kunstsenter is excited to welcome Irene Chan to our Artist in Residency- program here in Kristiansand!
Irene Chan is a multidisciplinary artist who works conceptually in print media, papermaking, installation art, storytelling performance, and book arts on subjects of Taoism, personal immigrant narratives, and forgotten histories. Her books and works on paper have been exhibited internationally and held in 106 public collections including the Walker Art Center, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Tate Modern, Victoria & Albert Museum, and British Library in London. Chan established Ch’An (ch’ ahn) Press through which she has self-published prints and 42 artist books to date. She is the recipient of grants and awards from Erasmus+MobileUP, the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Arts Council, Maryland State Arts Council, Washington D.C. Commission of the Arts and Humanities, of fellowships to 25 artist residencies, and has exhibited and performed in 35 venues in the last ten years. During October 2025 to July 2026, Chan will teach and research at the University of Art and Design at Cluj Napoca, Romania on a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award. Irene Chan holds an M.F.A. with honors from the San Francisco Art Institute and a degree in architecture (BArch) with a Minor in English from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Besides running her own press and studio, she is also a Professor of Art (Print and Intermedia Arts) and Affiliate Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, U.S.A.
During her residency she will explore A work about emptiness, influenced from my path of following the Tao (as written by Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Ching). She will explore some methods including silkscreening, RISO printing, and patchwork sewing. She may also create an artist book game puzzle as she learn more about the Chinese puzzle Tangrams (qiqiao ban).
Last summer, Irene Chan was a resident artist for four weeks in Buenos Aires and produced a book art edition of Secret Pockets of Women for the folk story character Kerana which tells her story through visual objects housed in two tied-on pockets. Irene explores the idea of creating another Secret Pocketsabout a historical woman from Norway, like Kerana’s, which may have embroidery, hand calligraphy, silkscreen printing, book arts, and drawing.
Find out more about Irene Chan and her work here: https://ch-anpress.com
or on instagram at @ch.anpress
Irene Chan at Myren Gård
Photo: Sidsel Jørgensen
Chapter Zero, a project about nothingness by Irene Chan
