Art, a piece at a time
We all have dreams when we were kids, and Lego allows us to build these dreams into small realities -‐ one colorful piece at a time. At the age of four, Eugene Tan had decided to abandon other distractions and focused just on these tiny blocks. By eight, he had won three consecutive nationwide Lego building competitions from 1984 to 1986.
"Other kids had a variety of toys, for me my whole life revolved around Lego," says the architect today. "I dismantle them after every assembly and kept every single piece to build another." Not only did those colorful pieces win him competitions, they also inspired him to pursue architecture as a career. He obtained a masters degree in architecture in 2005. While his job allows him to design and realize real structures both in Singapore and overseas, the Lego pieces continue to be his passion.
Today his Lego two dimensional portraits and three dimensional installations are a rare branch of contemporary pop art. In 2009, his entry won the URA heritage award and a year later the SIA design award. His skill and creativity with Lego quickly spread and is now frequently commissioned to build models for companies' even governments. For instance he constructed a three-‐foot Lego figure for the Mayor of Kaoshiung, Taiwan and a three-‐foot figure of Roy Lichtenstein's Anne.
Now for the first time, the talent of Eugene Tan will be showcased in an exhibition at John Erdos Art. Be introduced to contemporary art that childhood dreams are made of. See how dreams can be built into realities -‐ of two-‐dimensional portraits of Lee Kuan Yew at a critical moment in Singapore history; Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor and Mao in their iconic Warhol colors; his take on a variety of Lichtenstein pop art; to three-‐dimensional installations -‐ a life-‐size Vesper scooter; a chilly-‐red fire hydrant, various chess pieces.
"We stage exhibitions for renowned international artists and emerging local artists, especially when the medium is as intriguing and unusual as Eugene's. I feel this exhibition will attract both the professional collectors as well as the casual art lovers. Eugene's talent is one-‐of-‐kind." The magical and colorful world of Eugene Tan will make you believe that dreams and art, can be built into magnificent realities, one piece at a time.
