Growing up in the logging industry, Chan learned to weld and fabricate at a young age. After working on old car engines with a friend, he built up a collection of miscellaneous metal parts. His first project was inspired upon being handed a worn out cam shaft, and was told to take it home and make something with it. He created a table lamp, and that was the beginning of Chan's garage art. Chan began to make figures, animals, vehicles and other forms, as well as larger projects including a V8 body flag holder and horses.
From The Editor:
Chan breathes new life into discarded metal objects, creating eclectic, up-cycled sculptures that charm and intrigue the viewer. In doing so, he shifts the lens of welding from the blue-collar tradesman to mad-scientist-gone-artist, creating various kooky and whimsical forms and figures- both decorative and functional. His imagination and creativity push to re-purpose un-related objects to create new worlds and new meanings- all in good nature. Chan's creations are a testament to our potential to re-think and re-use, and raise an interesting proposal- what if the world's junkyards were transformed into art exhibits?