Karen Chan is an artist skilled in various art mediums such as oil painting, ceramics, watercolour, and more. This has led to her establishing a diverse art-making practice. Her inspiration traces back to her childhood where she spent most of her time enjoying cartoons and moving images, as well as, from her current practice of teaching children as an art tutor.
Her works express her sensitivity and beliefs towards life, thereby reaching out to the minds of her audience. Through a cartoonish and playful approach, her works attract viewers with a relaxed and lively attitude. Embracing the concept of the inner child, she hopes audiences can relive the beautiful feelings of innocence, kindness, and happiness through her work. The seemingly cold expressions in her paintings stem from her dissatisfaction and rebellion against prejudices she encountered transitioning into adulthood. The black humour, irony, and jokes in her paintings have the intention to encourage people to face challenges in a light-hearted way and encourage independent thinking.
Karen Chan (b. 2000) recently received her Bachelor of Arts from the Academy of Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University.
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The idea of "I am bread" originated from Chan's constant pondering on the matter of love and the quality of life. The artist has constant discussions with her friends on the debate about choosing love or choosing a better quality of life on materialistic terms, choosing between bread and love. By imagining herself as a loaf of bread, the artist believes that she will be able to seek true love.