I was born in Los Angeles in 1972, the child of first generation immigrants who had come out west to mine the opportunities offered by the Golden State. At the age of three, my family moved to a small city surrounded by the eponymous orange groves of Orange County and gained the company of my younger brother.

I was an artistic juggernaut as a child, drawing ceaselessly and always receiving art materials as gifts. In elementary school, I had the good fortune of working with an art educator who encouraged everyone to “fill the negative space” and “don’t worry about mistakes, just keep drawing!” It was even okay to make images bigger than the biggest piece of paper; it was off the canvas that the real connection—through imagination—was made between the viewer and the artist.

Taking her advice to heart, I delve into my psyche and mine my memories and loves—mythology, sensuality, and spirituality—and alloy this rich ore with patient attention to the world around me.

Presently, I reside on the West Coast of the North American continent, at the edge of the seas and on the verge of a garden.

Read my blog, Ivan Chan Studio: Insight, to keep up with my latest adventures and projects!