Bio
Amity Chan is a Washington D.C.-based multimedia artist and activist from Hong Kong. She uses art as a medium for her activism. Through two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, such as, painting, photography, and wooden sculpture, she educates the public about the rising human rights concerns in her home, Hong Kong.
Chan's works have been exhibited internationally, including at The Phillips Collection, Studio Gallery DC, University of Washington, Torpedo Factory Arts Center, NGO DEI Gallery, Open Space, Studio Arts College International, and the Maryland Institute College of Art.
In 2024, she was selected to be part of the George Mason University’s Arts and Culture Building Fellowship. In 2023, she was awarded the Jennie Lea Knight Fellowship from the Studio Gallery DC. Chan has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in General Fine Arts with a minor in Culture and Politics from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland.
Outside of her artistic practice, she works as a museum professional to further develop her knowledge in the art field.
Artist Statement
Art is the medium for my activism. My practice is driven by a deep commitment to raising awareness of the social and political issues in Hong Kong, a home I have not been able to return to since 2021. My recent works draw inspiration from my personal experiences within the city’s pro-democracy movement and its increasing barriers. Through two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, I offer the world a realistic view of the seemingly prosperous and free city, urging viewers to reflect on the corrupted systems and to bring greater awareness to the pressing human rights issues in my home.
Anchored in preserving Hong Kong's identity amid political challenges and the diaspora experience, my artistic practice stands as a testament to the resilience of a culture, capturing the spirit of a city that refuses to be silenced. As a member of this diaspora, my art reflects on both immediate struggles and the ongoing challenges of preserving Hong Kong's cultural heritage.
In each body of work, I immerse audiences in a specific social issue utilizing selected mediums. In 2019, I constructed a life-size wooden cage, Life in A Cage, to represent the actual size of the cage room apartments in Hong Kong. Immersed in the 4 x 4 x 6 ft. cage room, smaller than the average American jail cells, the viewers are confronted with a face of Hong Kong that they never knew existed.
During the critical years from 2019 to 2020 when major pro-democracy protests took place around the city, I created over ten works that directly responded to the Anti-Extradition Law Protest, including two interactive public installations, Lennon Wall (2019-2020) and Fearful to Fearless (2019), two screen printing series, Be safe, my friend. (2019) and Handcuffs (2019), and three photography series in which I captured new faces of Hong Kong during the age of protest.