Wai Lap Chan

Great designers, artists and musicians will say inspiration can come when they least expect it – or from something quite unexpected. For installation artist Chan Wai Lap, his breakthrough came at the age of 28, during a time when he was experiencing creative block. Seeking a way out, he decided to learn how to swim, a decision that would be his defining career break. 

Hesitant about taking lessons, Chan turned to YouTube to teach himself and practised daily until he’d mastered it. After all this time spent at the pool, he became captivated not only by its architectural beauty, but also the dynamics of human behaviour in communal spaces.

Today, he’s known for his work inspired by swimming pools and the tension between the individual and the community. Whether they’re calming grid-like drawings or attention-grabbing large-scale installations, it’s a world you always want to dive into.

One of his most celebrated accomplishments is Some of Us Are Looking at the Stars (2023), a life-sized tiled swimming-pool installation overlooking Victoria Harbour that was commissioned for the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Chan hopes to draw in busy commuters to reflect and gaze upward at the sky.

His talent has led to invitations for artist-in-residence programmes in Hong Kong, New York and Istanbul. He’s also exhibited at Art Central, Art Basel and Tai Kwun, with solo exhibitions at Gallery Exit and Contemporary by Angela Li. In 2019, Chan was named Young Artist of the Year at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards. It’s perhaps fitting his personal motto is “If you really love something, you’ll find a way to achieve it.”

Naturally, Chan’s day starts with a swim before he heads to his studio. He’s recently been taking on a variety of projects, such a visual installation for a music concert in Tai Kwun. In his own words, “Art isn’t a self-contained practice. I’d like to continue expanding its definition and blurring boundaries between disciplines.”