Sculptural Intervention

Wallace Chan had a life-affirming epiphany during his six-month tenure as a monk, which he undertook while studying Buddhism and Buddhist art: he likes inhabiting undefinable spaces. “The ideal is being in between all things,” says the jewellery designer and artist, explaining his optimal state: that which can’t be defined singularly. “Having nothing defining my existence is the perfect state of existence.” His artistic creations reflect this sentiment, resisting any precise definition. His jewellery pieces often look like wearable sculptures, blurring the lines between fine art and design. His lesser-known but equally distinctive sculptures also demonstrate his existentialist philosophy, particularly the pieces most recently on view at Fondaco Marcello, Venice, as part of his exhibition Totem, put together by independent curator and writer James Putnam. Chan’s titanium heads, which are disassembled elements…