Michelle Tan

ARTIST STATEMENT:

            In my piece, I try to depict my interpretation on the impression of the human’s soul.  What drives and inspires us to live life? What makes us different yet the same with one another? What makes our life beautiful? These are just the basic question of people on what we seek in search of our “self”. Sometimes we try to create an identity with our race and culture. We also try to create an association with our identity with our environment wherein we find comfort and security. But as we go through the process day by day, identifying too much with the external factors tends to get us out of touch with our soul.

 At that point, we get confused and lost with our “self”. We are totally aware that we had already forgotten our own true nature. We can see that we are just running in circles over and over again as if nothing is happening which we find senseless. Then we reach a phase that we will be force by the circumstance of events to have a deeper reflection of our “self”.

Truth of the matter is, man will and always knows if he/she has loose touch with its soul. It is up to the person if he/she is willing to do something about it. Up to a certain point, we can still ignore the cries of our soul but when it reached to its pivotal point it will just explode inside and can’t be ignored.

It is important that man should constantly get in touch with their soul as the soul connects us to the higher understanding of life. It deepens our understanding in life and helps us find true joy, peace, beauty and happiness. The soul fills up our being that enables us to be creative, productive and loving. It helps us find our true identity and eventually lead us to experience deep contentment in our life.

As the artist, I try to express my statement through various intensity and moods of emotions by playing with the colors. The deeper the intensity of the colors the stronger it is so is the mood of the energy of the space. There’s a portion in the painting where there is a concentrated wave of figure or an entity moving. As the entity moves, its’ energy affects it’s surrounding. The entity is spreading its life force or energy with the environment. As man maybe aware of it or not, we always spread our energy to the earth. The entity in the said piece is the soul. Since the soul is formless, I did not paint any figures in this artwork. I just played with the waves of energy by depicting the intensity and flow of the energy and the most intense part is the soul as it is the life force itself. 

BIRTH DATE:   March 25, 1977

BIRTH PLACE:  Manila, Philippines

Introduction to Acrylics

Ayala Museum

Makati Ave. cor Amorsolo St.,

Makati City

Philippines

[AAGP] <Ar.I.A.s> Artists Guidance Program

Artists-Run Independent Art Space

210-318A LRI Business Plaza,

Nicanor Garcia Street , Makati City

Philippines

Membership:

Member of Makati Artists Guild since 2006

Selected Exhibitions:

2006:

Confluence :     Bocar, Novicio & Tan:

March 25 to April 7

Blue Room Gallery , Evangelista Makati City

Philippines

Confluence II :  Bocar, Novicio & Tan: 

March 25 to April 7

Teazann Restaurant , Makati City

Alun-Alon  : Group Exhibition  with   Makati Artist Guild:

June 14 to 27

The Art Center SM Megamall Art Space , Pasig City

The Way : Two-Person Exhibition with Eric Von  Ng

June 29 to July 12

<Ar.I.A.s>Artists-Run Independent Art Space

210-318A LRI Business Plaza,                 

Nicanor Garcia Street , Makati City

Philippines

Uncontrolled Control : Group Exhibition with Naval, Lerma, Magbanua, Tan, Espiritu, Jocson and Lindslee

August 21 to 31

<Ar.I.A.s>Artists-Run Independent Art Space

210-318A LRI Business Plaza,                 

Nicanor Garcia Street , Makati City

Uncontrolled Control II : Group Exhibition with Naval, Lerma, Magbanua, Tan, Espiritu, Jocson and Lindslee

August 21 to 31

Galleria Astra

LRI Business Plaza,                 

Nicanor Garcia Street , Makati City

2008:

Bago  : Group Exhibition  

September 18 to 31

The Art Center SM Megamall Art Space , Pasig City

Here’s an example of one of my last exhibitions

“THE WAY”

a two –person exhibition of paintings by  Von Ng and Michelle Tan

Press Release:

The reinforcements of the power of inner sensibilities  in the rendition of non-representational work in the genre of Oriental Aesthetics are reintroduced by the two promising young emerging  artists , with them are their inherent mastery of it , as a Chinese-Filipinos  imbibing  cross-fertilization of images and hybridization behind the traditional Chinese art  and the contemporary . The artists with their passion for paintings and controlling the medium created  textured and layered works and some chinese inscriptions ,   that shows sophistication and vibrancy which reflect their state of being , rawness of vision and powerful imagery of Matter and  Oriental  paintings. <A.r.I.A.s.> Artist-run Independent Art Space , Presents  THE WAY a two –person exhibition of paintings by  Von Eric Ng and Michelle Tan  on June 29 6:00Pm exhibits run until July 12 , 2006 

Artist Statement:

            The character Tao道 literally means "the path" or "the way". The wealth of the history and teachings of Chinese Philosophy reached its peak during the age of Confucius. Confucius, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Kung Fu Tzu etc., the sages of this era, expressed themselves by teaching “the way”.

            Confucius revolutionized Old China through his philosophy, which in time became a major aspect of Chinese thinking and time-honored wisdom. Confucianism is a philosophy that teaches achieving sage-like qualities within and kingly qualities on the outside. It explains the “natural law” and the “golden mean”. It teaches humanism and the inseparability of philosophy and life. It also emphasizes the social nature of man, a deep respect for the individual including the basic concept of the fundamental equality and the original goodness of all individuals.

About the Artist:

            Von Ng and Michelle Tan belong to the new generation of the Filipino-Chinese.  They acknowledge the heritage from their Chinese ancestors. In their experience, these Filipino-Chinese artists make cross-culture references from both the Filipino and the Chinese cultures. They consider themselves as part of the Filipino society while keeping alive the deep influence of the Chinese culture.

Von Ng got his inspiration with his fascination with the Chinese arts and artifacts and observes how it aged beautifully and still continues to maintain its depth and character through time.

Michelle Tan got her inspiration from the deep infatuation of the Chinese philosophers and poets with nature. They narrate the connection between man and nature which determines the uniformity and oneness of all God’s creation.  The artist tries to express nature by playing with the different hues of the green and gold.

Kulay-Diwa  is a venue for Philippines and Southeast Asian Contemporary Art. Inaugurated on February 7, 1987, Kulay-Diwa, is strategically located within a cluster of communities South of Manila.  It has five independent exhibition areas able to accommodate large-scale works and a garden ideal for programs, performances and sculpture installations.  The goal of the gallery is to discover and promote the works of young, talented but deserving Filipino Artists and to foster cultural interaction and exchanges with the local regions and other countries.

Kulay (Colour)

Diwa  (Spirit, Thought)

Michelle Tan, "Autumn Breeze", Acrylic on Canvas, 91 x 122 cms., 2005

Michelle Tan, "Yearning", Acrylic on Canvas, 60 x 91 cms., 2005

Michelle Tan, "Streams of Joy", Acrylic on Canvas, 122 x 153 cms., 2005

Michelle Tan, "Prelude", Oil on Paper

Michelle Tan, "Kasaganahan", Acrylic on Canvas, 183 x 122 cms., 2006

Michelle Tan, "Dance of Life", Acrylic on Canvas, 137 x 198 cms., 2005

Michelle Tan, "Awakening the Goddess" Acrylic on Canvas, 2008

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