Cover Wyn-Lyn Tan in her studio
Wyn-Lyn Tan in her studio
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Her artworks explore nature through a continuously evolving toolbox of media, from generative AI to oxidised copper
The path to becoming a fine artist is seldom a straight line, a truth vividly embodied by Singaporean artist Wyn-Lyn Tan. With an initial academic pursuit in business, a stint as a lifestyle magazine writer, and finally a full-time dedication to fine arts, Tan’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of a calling and the courage to answer it. “I’ve always known I wanted to do something in art, and one day realised that ‘hey, it’s now or never’,” she says, reflecting on her decisive leap into the art world.
Educated at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa) and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and later at the Art Academy in Tromsø, Tan’s multicultural and multidisciplinary background is a rich palette from which she draws her unique artistic language. Her works, while abstract, are deeply rooted in nature, carrying echoes of her traditional training in Chinese ink painting and a profound influence from her experiences in Northern Europe.
Tan’s early figurative works evolved into abstract representations, gesturing at the landscapes they originated from. A residency at the now defunct Red Gate Gallery in Beijing in 2006 saw her reconnect with her oriental roots, experimenting with rice paper and Chinese ink, which later became the eastern element in her abstract language. Her residency at Fiskars Village in Finland, the following year, amidst a snow-blanketed landscape, further shaped her visual language. “I saw a resonance in that northern vastness that connected with the ‘breathing space’ and emptiness in Chinese landscape paintings,” she shares.
Her work aims to map the invisible connections between experience, emotion, and the natural world, inspired by fields as diverse as geology and ecology. “My abstract paintings hint at internal, emotional landscapes,” Tan elucidates. Her practice extends beyond canvas, embracing plexiglass, wood, and unconventional materials such as patina, metal and soil. Most recently, she has been experimenting with incorporating generative artificial intelligence into her practice.
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Tan’s creative process is as organic and elemental as the subjects that inspire her. Long walks and intimate observations of nature’s nuances inform her initial mark-making, which then evolves as the work “takes over”.
Her copper works are particularly noteworthy, where she “paints” with invisible ink—a concoction that reacts with the air to oxidise the metal. “It’s like watching a polaroid develop over days,” she describes, revealing her alchemic approach to art. “Unpredictability steers the works, allowing for the invisible energy of metal, moisture in the air, and time to react, and become interwoven as means of ‘painting’. Like an alchemist, I am taking the same kind of chance with the unpredictability of my painting processes.
“The copper works actually came about as the humidity in Singapore got me thinking about how I could harness it instead of being annoyed by it,” Tan shares. “Humidity is inherently without form. Here, I am harnessing this formlessness and giving form to the moisture in the air that we don’t see but feel.” The resulting works are beautiful; you want to reach out and touch them despite being told all your life to never touch an artist’s paintings. They seem to capture both lightness and weight, and thanks to the metal medium, shine gorgeously when lit appropriately.
Above Wyn-Lyn Tan in her studio
Wyn-Lyn Tan in her studio
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Living and working in Singapore, a country known for its pragmatic approach to careers, Tan acknowledges the challenges of being a full-time artist but remains steadfast. “One way or another, one can always find work in Singapore,” she states, her optimism grounded in the reality of her success. A milestone for any local artist, Tan’s work is part of the permanent collection at the Singapore Art Museum.
Her career is a dance with the ephemeral and the eternal, an exploration of light, space, and the boundless landscapes of the mind. Her art is a whisper of the natural world through the lens of human experience—a dialogue of colour, light and form that invites viewers to step into a space where the seen and the unseen coalesce, and new perceptions are born.
Tan has been represented by Fost Gallery in Singapore since 2009. “I’ve had the opportunity to present five more solo presentations with Fost, including Art Basel in Hong Kong in 2017,” she shares. “My relationship has evolved to include not just a great working relationship, but also a friendship as well.” She is also represented by Sapar Contemporary in New York City.
This month, Tan is off to Paris to embark on her next residency.
“I will focus on making new work that will inform my next series.”
About
Aun started his career in media, working at illustrious publications in NYC, Paris, and Hong Kong before launching his own Asia-regional lifestyle magazine, East, that was called "Asia's hippest magazine" by Asiaweek and "an Asian Vanity Fair" by Fortune. Committed to community service, Aun has helmed the visual arts and literary arts divisions for the National Arts Council in Singapore; led the marketing, communications, and corporate community investments teams at the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre; was the founding Chair of the Pangdemonium Theatre Company; and currently sits on the Board of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. In 2006, Aun co-founded The Ate Group, a content strategy and communications agency specialising in F&B, hospitality, luxury and lifestyle. Aun has run the content and communications teams at Tripadvisor; similarly run content and communications at a sustainability focused tech start up; and run marketing and communications at a global BPO with over 17,000 employees worldwide. Aun has also been a consultant for Mediacorp and has produced and hosted two food & travel television series for them. In 2015 he began working on the creation of a private members club, Straits Clan, which he launched in 2019 and sold the following year. Returning to his roots, Aun joined Tatler Asia in 2023 as editor-in-chief in Singapore and is committed to telling great stories of change makers through Tatler’s online and offline platforms.
Work
As Editor-in-Chief of Tatler Singapore, Aun leads all the content teams: branded content, print, digital, and the creative teams. He works closely with the heads of each team to ensure that Tatler continues to cover the most important, inspiring and exciting stories that are affecting Singapore and our region. He also works closely with the events and commercial teams and is always excited to collaborate on new ideas and projects that the Tatler team can activate.
Follow Aun on Instagram at @aun_koh (primarily a food account) and on Linkedin here.
