Irene Chan is a multidisciplinary artist who works conceptually in print media, papermaking, installation art, storytelling performance, and book arts on subjects of Taoism, personal immigrant narratives, and forgotten histories. Her books and works on paper have been exhibited internationally and held in 104 public collections including the Walker Art Center, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Tate Modern, Victoria & Albert Museum, and British Library in London. Chan established Ch’An (ch’ ahn) Press through which she has self-published prints and 41 artist books to date. She is the recipient of grants and awards from Erasmus+MobileUP, the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Arts Council, Maryland State Arts Council, Washington D.C. Commission of the Arts and Humanities, of fellowships to 25 artist residencies, and has exhibited and performed in 35 venues in the last ten years.
Chan has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar Award 2025-26. From October 2025 to June 2026, she will teach and do research at the University of Arts and Design at Cluj Napoca, Romania.
Irene Chan holds an M.F.A. with honors from the San Francisco Art Institute and a degree in architecture (BArch) with a Minor in English from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Besides running her own press and studio, she is also a Professor of Art (Print and Intermedia Arts) and Affiliate Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, U.S.A.
