Irene Chan

Who is Irene Chan?

Irene Chan is an American visual artist. She was born in San Francisco, California in the United States. She studied architecture in Washington, D.C. in 1986. She graduated in 1989 from California Polytechnic State University with a Bachelor of Arts in architecture and a minor in English. She obtained her Master of Fine Arts in 1997 from the San Francisco Art Institute. She studied printmaking. She makes books and has her own publishing house called Ch'An Press. She has served as artist in residence at Women's Studio Workshop. She has illustrated and designed for the Electric Power Research Institute and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Chan serves as associate professor in the fine arts department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She lives in Washington, D.C. She finds inspiration in Chinese philosophy and nature.

Chan has been awarded honors from the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Maryland State Arts Council, and others. She has exhibited her work at venues and organizations such as the Islington Arts and Media School, San Francisco Arts Commission, A.I.R. Gallery, the University of Delaware, and the Legion of Honor. Her work is held in the collection of the Archives of American Art, Columbia University, Indiana University, British Library, Tate Modern, Walker Art Center, and more.