https://denisekwan.co.uk Denise Kwan Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:29:25 +0000 https://denisekwan.co.uk en https://denisekwan.co.uk/Projects Wed, 14 Dec 2022 18:34:56 +0000 Denise Kwan https://denisekwan.co.uk/Projects PROJECTS&nbsp;Denise develops collaborative projects and produces curated events in a range of contexts from communities, artist collectives and institutions in both physical and digital spaces. Through the process of making and sharing, these projects are inspired by a desire to co-create by using imaginative methodologies to craft embodied and speculative narratives. #01. The Object Stories of British Chinese Women &nbsp; <img width="1331" height="1081" width_o="1331" height_o="1081" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f0f0299df3c265edfcb91ef2d7c9668fc3633a8a93a0ee235e4940dc04f9f1a9/H_2.png" data-mid="191898603" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f0f0299df3c265edfcb91ef2d7c9668fc3633a8a93a0ee235e4940dc04f9f1a9/H_2.png" /> #02. A Zine of Collective Care <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/44a49e46ccc8d33b1efdac5fd194157c2f2e5a3c1fd7062d37f9ff4baa365fce/Dee_website_trail-image-1.jpg" data-mid="168497735" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/44a49e46ccc8d33b1efdac5fd194157c2f2e5a3c1fd7062d37f9ff4baa365fce/Dee_website_trail-image-1.jpg" /> #03. projectVOX, a zine about PLACE <img width="1166" height="1432" width_o="1166" height_o="1432" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/91d0082806397ffda16859a32e8ba59ff19a2569b7db36bb0dcc773a204eea9a/PL_Zine_Place.png" data-mid="191900020" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/91d0082806397ffda16859a32e8ba59ff19a2569b7db36bb0dcc773a204eea9a/PL_Zine_Place.png" /> #04. A Creative Manifesto For The Future of Chinatown <img width="3456" height="2304" width_o="3456" height_o="2304" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7e2721c54ecad3ecb40bbde0455909fa3d662128b1513c1915b6ebf0737f4aef/IMG_1601.JPG" data-mid="168512905" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7e2721c54ecad3ecb40bbde0455909fa3d662128b1513c1915b6ebf0737f4aef/IMG_1601.JPG" /> #05. Sunday&nbsp; <img width="1232" height="677" width_o="1232" height_o="677" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2359342ab9dff84148439d6b1890ed598e2ec35eb31ca8bc4320ae8068dd2a74/PL_Sunday.jpg" data-mid="195027630" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2359342ab9dff84148439d6b1890ed598e2ec35eb31ca8bc4320ae8068dd2a74/PL_Sunday.jpg" /> Further ProjectsWorkshop Facilitator ‘Making Soho History in Ceramics’ for Difference Festival, London&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2019Exhibition entitled ‘Everyone, Everything’ at Ragged School, Swansea&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2013 Artist-In-Residence Exhibition at UWTSD, Art and Design Foundation, Swansea&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2011 Co-organised art writing retreat at Wysing Art Centre with speakers Maria Fusco, Adrian Searle and Sally O’Reilly&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2010&nbsp; Performance curator of artist Leah Capaldi&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2010&nbsp; Curated group exhibition titled ‘CONTORT YOURSELF’ at ACME Gallery London with artists Harold Offeh, David Blandy and Jan Hendrickse&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2010 Curator for group exhibition of North East emerging artists titled ‘Between Us and This’ at Globe Gallery, Newcastle&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2010 Curatorial Assistant for Manifesto Marathon Serpentine Gallery, London&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2009 https://denisekwan.co.uk/About Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:29:25 +0000 Denise Kwan https://denisekwan.co.uk/About About Denise holds a doctorate from the University of Westminster funded by UoW, an MA in Curating Contemporary Art (Inspire) from the Royal College of Art, London funded by Arts Council England; and a BA (Hons) in Fine Art Sculpture from the University of Brighton. Working with ideas of embodiment in context of the Chinese diaspora and gender in the UK, her PhD research explored the use of social practice and material culture with two generations of British Chinese women. This project was centred on situating the agency and desires of British Chinese women through the lens of their material worlds and this material archive was curated into a digital platform at www.objectstories.co.uk. Passionate about methodology and the process of making, she facilitated an 8 month bi-lingual Cantonese-English art school with the Chinese women’s group at Haringey Chinese Community Centre, North London. In 2019, she was awarded the Early Careers’ Researcher Prize from the British Journal of Chinese Studies (BJCS). <img width="785" height="747" width_o="785" height_o="747" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/989bd8b3af0ea1c34c1c827cbe2c57e9fb5694e5ae1b55244db855141c3dc88c/BIO_PIC_1.jpeg" data-mid="195051305" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/785/i/989bd8b3af0ea1c34c1c827cbe2c57e9fb5694e5ae1b55244db855141c3dc88c/BIO_PIC_1.jpeg" /> Denise approaches her practice from a spatial and creative methodological perspective, she responds to a desire to co-create and hold space for under-represented communities to craft alternative and speculative narratives to think and feel. These intentions accumulate in a range of collaborative projects and workshops with a range of communities, artists and writers. Her work has been published by a range of arts and academic platforms such as Multilingual Matters, Art Review, RCA and BJCS, her writing can be found in a variety of forms ranging from essays, journal articles, artist interviews, zines, experimental text work and poetry. Denise has delivered numerous talks around her research in the UK and internationally including the Oxford University, the Hepworth Wakefield and the Wuyi University Jiangmen, China. Since her curatorial work at BALTIC, Gateshead (2009-2011), Denise maintains a dedicated teaching practice and has taught for over a decade at UK and European art institutions in studio and theory modules. She is Senior Lecturer at Camberwell, UAL London. Currently she is a receipient of the Early Career’s Fellowship from the Paul Mellon Centre, 2024 - ongoing.&nbsp; LANGUAGESEDUCATION English &amp; Cantonese2016- 2020. University of Westminster, Doctorate PhD 2009-2011. Royal College of Art, London Curating Contemporary Art, MA 2006-2009. University of Brighton, Fine Art Sculpture BA (HONS), First Class 2005-2006. Swansea Metropolitan University Foundation Art and Design, Distinction PRESS Art Monthly mention from Morgan Quaintance. Read ︎︎︎ PRIZES Early Careers’ Researcher Award from the British Journal of Chinese Studies &nbsp; | &nbsp; 2018&nbsp; Shortlisted for Life/Art Writing by curator Marie-Anne McQuay, Wales in Venice &nbsp; | &nbsp; 2019 Winner of Harmonious Society Award for Art Criticism from Centre of Contemporary Chinese Art &nbsp; | &nbsp; 2015 Art Criticism Prize Winner for essay text of Richard Rigg, WORKPLACE Gallery, Gateshead awarded by BREESELITTLE, London &nbsp; | &nbsp; 2010 Fine Art Sculpture Prize, Michael Hickson scholarship, University of Brighton &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp;2009&nbsp; FUNDING University of Westminster Doctoral Scholarship &nbsp; | &nbsp; 2016-2020 AHRC Funding Small Grants Award from ‘Language Acts and Worldmaking’ to support a social practice partnership with the Haringey Chinese Women’s Group, Chinese Community Centre &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp;2018 Download CV&nbsp; ︎︎︎Contact&nbsp; ︎︎︎ https://denisekwan.co.uk/Writing Wed, 15 Feb 2023 09:28:11 +0000 Denise Kwan https://denisekwan.co.uk/Writing WRITING Denise’s writing practice is informed by a range of ideas including art practice, pop culture, critical theory, gender and race. Drawing on these themes, her writing moves between a range of formats; from the traditional essay, artist interviews, experimental prose and poetry, zine making, as well as editorial work.&nbsp; <img width="1080" height="516" width_o="1080" height_o="516" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/aa31196f25de895df9f441abcca2c518dc92222f57e98aba8754c947042e9807/Dee_Site_Writing_Header-Imagery_Essay.jpg" data-mid="191904974" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/aa31196f25de895df9f441abcca2c518dc92222f57e98aba8754c947042e9807/Dee_Site_Writing_Header-Imagery_Essay.jpg" /> 1. Book chapter ‘The Materially Embodied Visions of First Generation British Chinese Women Through Art and Material Objects’ for Bridging Borders, Creating Spaces: Negotiating Identities, Language and Migration in Global London &nbsp;edited by Cangbai Wang and Terry Lamb, &nbsp;published by Multilingual Matters&nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2024 &nbsp; &nbsp; ︎ Read ︎︎︎ 2. Peer-reviewed paper&nbsp; &nbsp; for the British Journal of Chinese Studies, Vol. 9 (1), January 2019, ‘Dressing up, dressing down! Situating Identities and Negotiating Otherness Through the Bodies of British Chinese Women’&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2019︎ Read ︎︎︎ 3. Commissioned essay for artist Bella Kerr’s exhibition Keeper at Mission Gallery, Swansea titled ‘Hung Over the Threshold’&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2013︎ Read ︎︎︎ 4. Publication Royal College of Art publication ‘The Right Dissonance’, essay text titled ‘Comfort in Dissonance’ featuring the work of artist photographer, Jonny Briggs&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2012&nbsp; &nbsp;︎ Read ︎︎︎ &nbsp; <img width="1080" height="516" width_o="1080" height_o="516" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bf49980297cb0dc50921b024a0ebd8593a9135846689646a99806b4d633136c1/Dee_Site_Writing_Header-Imagery_Experimental-02.jpg" data-mid="194217724" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bf49980297cb0dc50921b024a0ebd8593a9135846689646a99806b4d633136c1/Dee_Site_Writing_Header-Imagery_Experimental-02.jpg" /> #1 A Zine of Collective Care, Creative Responses to Covid-19, Xenophobia and Racism&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2021&nbsp;︎ &nbsp;Read ︎︎︎ #2 projectVOX Place Editor-in-residence for ‘projectVOX Place’ zine magazine for Quiet Down There launched with Love Camden&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2018︎&nbsp; Read ︎︎︎ #3 Poem Yuan, Tongyuan and Anyway&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; Published by COVERT literary magazine&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2020︎&nbsp; Read ︎︎︎ #4 The Story of Jolene with Dolly and Jack&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; Published by LINE magazine&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2012︎&nbsp; Read ︎︎︎ <img width="1080" height="516" width_o="1080" height_o="516" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0245a751321ccd657711bf7b82ae4347366ce0c218e84e04947ee00f57d1eaca/Dee_Site_Writing_Header-Imagery_Writing.jpg" data-mid="191904973" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0245a751321ccd657711bf7b82ae4347366ce0c218e84e04947ee00f57d1eaca/Dee_Site_Writing_Header-Imagery_Writing.jpg" /> 1. Exhibition review for ArtReview of Adrian Villar Rojas ‘Today We Reboot the World’ at Serpentine Gallery London &nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2014 &nbsp; &nbsp; ︎Read ︎︎︎ 2. Exhibition review for thisistomorrow on Republic of the Moon at Arts Catalyst &nbsp;&nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2014 ︎Read ︎︎︎ 3. Exhibition review for thisistomorrow on Sean Edwards at Chapter Gallery, Cardiff &nbsp;&nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2013︎Read ︎︎︎ 4. Interview with curator, Joshua Jiang, Asian Triennial Manchester, ‘Harmonious Society’&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp;Published by CCQ Magazine &nbsp;&nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2013︎Read ︎︎︎ 5. Interview with curator, Ossian Ward at Lisson Gallery London, &nbsp;pages 70-75 &nbsp;|&nbsp; &nbsp;Published by CCQ Magazine &nbsp;&nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2014︎Read ︎︎︎ 6. Interview artist interview with Bella Kerr, pages 76-79 &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp;Published by CCQ Magazine &nbsp;&nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2014︎Read ︎︎︎7. Exhibition review of Richard Rigg at WORKPLACE Gallery, Gateshead. Awarded the Inaugural Art Criticism Prize by BREESELITTLE London &nbsp;&nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2010︎Read ︎︎︎ https://denisekwan.co.uk/In-Conversations Wed, 11 Oct 2023 12:29:05 +0000 Denise Kwan https://denisekwan.co.uk/In-Conversations IN-CONVERSATIONS ‘Best of 2019’ for Studio Visit on Resonance FM with artist, writer &amp; curator Morgan Quaintance with Dr. Sha Zhou and Dr. Chen Yang&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2019 &nbsp; ︎ Listen ︎︎︎ ‘How do everyday objects tell our stories?’ Denise Kwan in-conversation with curator Tiffany Leung on Manchester Museum podcast&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2021 &nbsp; ︎ Listen ︎︎︎ ‘Spoken Worlds: Practicising Bilingualism in Diaspora’&nbsp;interview video&nbsp;commissioned by Platform Asia supported by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art&nbsp;| &nbsp;&nbsp; 2023 ︎ Watch ︎︎︎&nbsp; ‘Home Away From Home’: A Roundtable Discussion at Oxford University. In conversation with a guest panel of academics, writers and artists, Dr. Jennifer Wong, Dr. Jennifer Altehenger, Dr. Margaret Hillenbrand and Nina Mingya Powles on what it means to feel at home through the lens of personal stories, writing, cultural history and art-making &nbsp;&nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2022 ︎ Watch ︎︎︎&nbsp; https://denisekwan.co.uk/Talks Wed, 11 Oct 2023 12:54:47 +0000 Denise Kwan https://denisekwan.co.uk/Talks TALKSGuest speaker at ‘Decolonising Chinese Studies Seminar Series’ at University of Manchester&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2023&nbsp; Chair and Speaker&nbsp;for online roundtable for ‘Crafting research methods of joy-making in East and Southeast Asian communities’ &nbsp;&nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2023Conference paper at The Hepworth Centre, Wakefield titled ‘Countering the Hyper-visibility of Chinese Aesthetics in Britain through the Object Stories of British Chinese Women’ for conference entitled Differencing the Methods of Researching and Archiving Women’s Sculptural Practices&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2022Conference academic presentation paper “A Zine of Collective Care: An Analysis” at Zine and Self-Publishing in Chinese Cultures conference organised by Dr. Carwyn Morris&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2022Conference academic presentation paper at Association of Critical Heritage Studies 5th Biennial Conference, London&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2020 Chair Discussant for Camden People’s Theatre titled ‘Does British Chinese Identity Exist?’&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2019 In-conversation with director Kiki Yu for the film ‘China’s Van Gogh’ at Wimbledon UAL&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2019BBC Radio North East interview on British Chinese women research&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2017Conference paper “An Intergenerational Analysis of First and Second Generation British Chinese Women Through Materiality and Art Making” at International Symposium on Transnational Migration and Qiaoxiang Studies from a Gendered Vantage Point, organised by Prof. Liu Jin, Wuyi University: Jiangmen&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2018Conference paper “Materiality, Embodiment for Second Generation British Chinese Women” Embodied Senses organised by Dr. Georgia Wall at Warwick University: London&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2018Conference paper “The Object-Stories of British Chinese Women: A Methodological View” HOMElands Annual Lecture organised by Dr. Cangbai Wang at University of Westminster: London&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2018Poster Presentation ‘Dressing Practices of Second Generation British Chinese women for Language Acts and Worldmaking, Senate House, London&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2018Conference paper “Material Objects of Second Generation Women: An In-depth Case Study” Language Acts and Worldmaking Conference organised by Prof. Debra Kelly at Senate House: London&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2018Academic presentation titled ‘Visual ethnography and Migratory Chinese Female Subjectivities’ for Embodied Senses at Warwick University&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2017Chair discussant for architectural art panel discussion for CIVIC Exhibition, Swansea&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2014Guest gallery talk at Oriel Myrddin, Carmarthen discussing collaboration of Karla Black and Karin Ruggaber&nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; 2012 https://denisekwan.co.uk/Teaching Wed, 11 Oct 2023 13:15:26 +0000 Denise Kwan https://denisekwan.co.uk/Teaching TEACHING UAL, Camberwell.2015 - Present Fine Art Cross Course Year 3 Co-ordinator, &nbsp;Senior Lecturer Bristol UWE.2021 - 2024 Fine Art, Senior Lecturer Falmouth School of Art.2021 Fine Art MA, Visiting Lecturer Kingston University. 2020 Fine Art Theory Visiting Lecturer Copenhagen Art School, Aarhus.2016 Art and Writing, Visiting Lecturer University of Wales Trinity Saint David.2012 - 2016 Contextual Practice, Lecturer