Wallace Chan – TITANS: A dialogue between materials, space, and time – 04.01.22

• Wallace Chan will showcase 10 of his large-scale titanium and iron sculptures at One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, as part of the building’s ongoing public sculpture programme.
• The free-standing sculptural series, A Dialogue between Materials and Time, is an unprecedented survey of Chan as a sculptor.
• On display will be three new and never-seen-before sculptures, including one 5 metre piece that will be situated at the fountain in Cabot Square, alongside the work of renowned sculptors Henry Moore and Lynn Chadwick.

Chinese multidisciplinary artist Wallace Chan will showcase 10 of his large-scale titanium and iron sculptures for his exhibition TITANS:  A dialogue between materials, space, and time. Located at the vast lobby of the iconic One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, the exhibition will run from 21 February to 8 April as part of their ongoing public sculpture programme. Canary Wharf is home to London’s largest collection of outdoor public art collected over 30 years with more than 75 freestanding and integrated architectural sculptures. It has a decade-long history of commissioning award winning art programmes and installation and is a long-standing celebration of culture and the arts.

The exhibition, curated by James Putnam, explores Chan’s contemplation on the relationship between materials, space, and time through titanium: a futuristic, space-age material that has long been the subject of his experimental impulses. The russet, oxidised iron contrasts the titanium’s polished silver surface and both materials evoke the passage of time; iron will eventually rust away while titanium can last for eternity.

On display will be three brand new works: TITANS XIV, TITANS XV and TITANS XVI. The central motif of many of these majestic, semi-figurative sculptures is a colossal head whose facial features are serene yet strong, with a peaceful aura reminiscent of a deity statue. The head is often distorted and elongated, almost anamorphic, simultaneously ancient, and somewhat extra-terrestrial. One of the new works, TITANS XIV, is a 5-metre-high monolithic sculpture and will be situated at the fountain in Cabot Square, in the foreground of Canary Wharf’s iconic building alongside the work of renowned sculptors Henry Moore and Lynn Chadwick.

Curator and writer James Putnam says, “The verticality of the sculpture’s elongated multi-tiered silver face creates a fitting dialogue with the 50-story steel clad skyscraper that rises behind it on the London skyline. By juxtaposing two very different sculptural materials, Chan evokes a sense of duality, where the lightness and durability of titanium is contrasted with iron’s weightiness and susceptibility to corrosion.”

Wallace Chan is one of the world’s most celebrated jewellery artists, but his accomplishments in sculpture – an art form that he has been practicing for almost half a century – are less well known. As a carving apprentice at aged 16, opaque stones such as malachite, jade and coral were his materials, and auspicious Chinese motifs were his inspiration. Chan developed his skills and learnt the art of Western sculpture by visiting Christian cemeteries and admiring the marble sculptures of saints and angels. After six months of devoted monkhood in the early 2000s and having given up all his possessions, Chan found himself in the complete absence of artistic resources.

Whatever his medium, Chan is continuously driven by a fascination with materials and a desire to push them beyond their limits.  Titanium, named after the immortal ‘Titans’ in Greek mythology, is the strongest, most durable and lightweight metal. Mainly used in the aerospace industry, titanium has been overlooked by artists due to its cost and complex production process. After many years of careful research and experimentation, Chan developed a method of working with titanium initially for his jewellery and more recently for his large-scale sculptures. Today he employs a range of sculpture techniques: from modelling and casting to carving, welding, and assembling, Chan creates titanium sculptures that are very rarely seen on this scale.

Wallace Chan says, “The large-scale titanium sculptures come from a lifetime of memories and experiences, including my early years creating carvings and sculptures inspired by Greek mythology.  TITANS, named after a group of super-strong giants, connects my present to my past. The series also acts as a passage to the future; carved and sculpted with a material as strong and resistant as titanium, my sculptures act as time capsules.”

Keith Watson, Public Art Curator, Canary Wharf Group says, “We are very proud and excited to kick off our 2022 sculpture programme with Wallace Chan’s exhibition, TITANS:  A dialogue between materials, space and time.  When I first encountered Wallace’s work I was taken aback by the ingenuity and confidence in his practice. The use of raw construction materials and   titanium   is   radical   and   surprising, full   of   contrasts, colour   and   texture, and the combination of structural lines and figurative work is unique in his work.”

DETAILS

Monday 21 February – Friday 8 April
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5AB

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Tilly Grant
T: 020 3463 2080
E: tilly.grant@flint-culture.com