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

Exhibition in the public lobby of One Canada Square, the central skyscraper at Canary Wharf.

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TITANS, curated by James Putnam, explores Wallace 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. Titanium, named after the immortal ‘Titans’ in Greek mythology, is the strongest, most durable and lightweight metal. 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.

Three brand new additions to the TITANS series, TITANS XIV, TITANS XV and TITANS XVI, will be exhibited for the first time in the unique environment of Canary Wharf.

About the artist:

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.