Jeff Chan is an artist residing in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He studied at the Alberta College of Art + Design (now known as Alberta University of the Arts) as a Drawing major, and as an Education major at the University of Lethbridge. His works have been exhibited across Alberta and abroad, and in addition Jeff has also been commissioned to design public artworks for the City of Edmonton, has been artist in residence at various Canadian and overseas programs. Jeff's current work deals with the ever-changing landscape of home, capturing memories and thoughts using various mediums.

 

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Artist Statement

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Have you ever wondered what your life would have been like if you were born somewhere else, and you had a different family? Who would your friends have been? What kinds of things would you have been interested in? I’ve often wondered this, but I wouldn’t change a thing if given the chance. I don’t believe anyone’s life is perfect, but I had it really good, and was surrounded by amazing people that shaped me into who I am today; I would have been a very different person if it wasn’t for their influence, but that doesn’t mean that everything, or everyone, stays.

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My idea of home at one point was concrete. It was four blue walls and a roof. It was the people inside those walls, and the memories that were made there, that I thought would be built upon for years to come. I thought home was something I could come back to any time. I was wrong. Over the course of time, one by one, elements of home have become distant. Physical surroundings have changed, and people have moved on. I was naive to think otherwise; change is a natural part of life. People move on, seeking out their next adventure in life, building new homes wherever they go. Home then becomes a memory that is recycled throughout one's lifetime. Remnants of it are carried with us and we often try to replicate it, but nothing will ever quite be the same; however, it doesn’t hurt to try, does it?

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I have created a body of work that focuses on my own memories in relation to both structures and objects. The resulting work celebrates both interior and exterior parts of what I call home. Each piece is an attempt to both preserve and relive their stories at the height of their magic. Using various mediums, I hope to relive these moments, places, and objects piece by piece, so they are not lost to time. Nostalgia is bittersweet.