Mark Tan is a first-generation Canadian born and raised in Toronto by Filipino immigrants. He produces interactive sculptures made from reclaimed solid wood, found materials, and domestic construction building materials at an architectural scale. His work expresses the emotional value of preconceived notions, longing, and disconnectedness in seeking acceptance within a community.
He received his MFA in Furniture Design & Woodworking in the Craft/Material Studies program at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. Tan has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including those from the Windgate Foundation, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Penland School of Craft, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, and the United States Artists Organization. His work has been exhibited internationally at exhibitions such as the Arrowmont Gallery, in Knoxville, TN, Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, in Mesa, AZ, Hillyer Contemporary in Washington, D.C., Messler Gallery in Rockport, ME., Patterson-Appleton Gallery in Denton, TX., Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA., Wharton Esherick Museum in Malvern, PA., Aspen Art Museum in Aspen, CO., and the DeLeon White Gallery at the Gladstone in Toronto, ON. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Sculpture/Wood at Arizona State University.