Sailing between cultures, shaping new narratives
Tan Kwank Liang is a Malaysian-born Singaporean artist whose work bridges contemporary themes with historical narratives
BETTER known by his artistic name Kenley Chan, Tan is a China-based Singaporean artist whose works explore the intersections of culture, history, and imagination. Having started his career in painting, Kenley gradually expanded into sculpture, mixed media, and immersive installations, exhibiting his works worldwide.
With a career spanning several decades, he has established himself as a thoughtful voice in the regional art scene. He currently spends his time travelling between Southeast Asia and China.
Deeply influenced by philosophy, history, and cultural exchange, Kenley’s practice goes beyond visual presentation. His artworks are invitations to reflect on identity, heritage, and the shared threads of human civilisation.
Kenley has steadily built a reputation for creating thought-provoking art that bridges the past and the present. His creative vision often draws on historical narratives and reinterprets them through a contemporary lens, encouraging audiences to rethink cultural identities and shared heritage.
##CROSSOVER: Click here to read our story, Sailing through history: Tan’s sojourn through stars and seas, at www.newasiacurrents.com
His latest creation, A Sojourn through Stars and Seas: Zheng He–Da Vinci Juxtaposed, demonstrates his ability to blend installation, symbolism, and storytelling. Beyond gallery spaces, he is also an educator and advocate for cultural dialogue, contributing to a broader understanding of Asian artistic traditions.
With upcoming exhibitions in Taiwan, Thailand, and Russia, Kenley continues to explore how art can reshape historical discourse and connect communities across time and borders.
For the Commonwealth of World Chinatowns’ (CWC) Zheng He–Da Vinci Juxtaposed immersive art installation at The Courtyard@Beach Street 1786, George Town, Penang (click here), Kenley has been tasked with reimagining two towering figures of world history — the Ming Dynasty’s great maritime navigator Zheng He and the Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci — within a single dialogue.
His installation is designed to be immersive and experiential, inviting visitors to enter a space where East meets West, past meets future, and imagination bridges centuries. Kenley’s participation in this exhibition reflects his long-standing interest in cross-cultural storytelling and the possibilities of art to engage audiences in new ways. As he continues to push creative boundaries, his work not only resonates with the cultural heritage of Asia but also speaks to universal human curiosity and the drive to explore. — Anansa Jacob
##CROSSOVER: Click here to read our story, Breathing new life into Penang’s heritage godowns, at www.newasiacurrents.com
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