Curriculum Vitae
Studies
| 2005 | The Architecture of Risk, Doctor of Creative Arts, Communications & Media, University of Technology Sydney |
| 1991 | Visual & Cultural Identity, Master of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, Australia |
| 1987 | Cultural Studies, School of Architecture, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China |
| 1978 | B.Ed (Fine Arts), University of South Australia |
| 1972 | Theory & Arrangement of Music, NSW Conservatorium, Sydney |
Selected Commissions, Awards & Appointments
| 2019 | Commissioned Artist, The Ox Lunar Lantern, City of Sydney |
| 2017 | Visiting Artist, The Neon Museum, Las Vegas |
| 2016 | Commissioned Artist, Murray Art Museum Albury |
| Commissioned Artist, Zappos Downtown, Las Vegas | |
| Commissioned Artist, City of Sydney Chinese New Year Lunar Lantern Project | |
| 2014–15 | Commissioned Artist, University of Chicago (Beijing Center), China |
| 2014 | Artist-in-Residence, Australia China Art Foundation, Beijing |
| Artist-in-Residence, Beijing HGJY Culture Company, Song Zhuang | |
| 2008 | Australia China Council Research Funding Award |
| 2006–7 | Australia China Council Artist-in-Residency in Beijing |
| 2006–8 | Member, Board of Directors, Wollongong City Gallery |
| 2005 | Winner, 43rd Fisher's Ghost Open Art Prize, Campbelltown Arts Centre |
| 2004–6 | Member, Artist Advisory Group, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney |
| 2003 | Presenter, Plaything: International Symposium on Digital Games, dLux & Sydney University |
| 1998 | Artist-in-Residency, The Long March, Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada |
| Keynote Speaker, 10th Anniversary Popular Culture Conference, University of Nevada Las Vegas | |
| 1997 | Artist-in-Residence, 1998 IndyCar, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Jupiters Casino, Surfers Paradise |
| Presenter, 10th International Conference on Gambling, UNR, Montreal, Canada | |
| 1997–04 | Director/Founder, Octomat, R & D Multimedia Design in Entertainment (Las Vegas & Sydney) |
| Art Design Industry Grant, NSW Ministry for the Arts, Australia | |
| Exhibition Development Grant, Museums & Galleries Association of Australia, National Exhibition Touring Scheme Program, Sydney | |
| 1996 | Chair & Presenter, Objects of Belonging: International Conference in Multicultural Studies, NSW State Library, Sydney |
| New Media Representative, Regional Arts Forum, Australia Council National Funding Strategy & Policy, Sydney | |
| Artist-in-Residence, Sculpture-New Media Department, Edith Cowan University, Perth | |
| University of Western Sydney Design Research Grant | |
| Exhibition Grants to Japan: Australia-Japan Foundation, Australia Council, Pat Corrigan Award | |
| 1995 | University of Western Sydney Design Survey Research: Global Merchandising of The Souvenir |
| Australia Council Exhibitions Travel Grant to NY & Paris | |
| 1993 | Artist-in-Residency, Queensland University Art Museum, Australia |
| Design Drawing Survey, Penrith Museum of Fire, University of Western Sydney Design | |
| 1992 | Inaugural Project Artist/Artist-in-Residence, Wollongong City Council, NSW, Australia |
| Artist-in-Residence, Contemporary Artists Series, Tamworth City Gallery, Australia | |
| 1991 | Artist-in-Residence, Faculty of Art History & Theory, Queensland University Art Museum |
| Chair, Artists Forum, Australian Perspecta 91, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney | |
| 1990–3 | Visiting Artist Projects: University of Tasmania, Queensland University, Edith Cowan University, Kalgoorlie College, Perth |
| 1990 | Artist-in-Residence, AGNSW at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France |
| Artist-in-Residence, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art & Curtin University, Perth | |
| 1980 | Winner, Whyalla Art Prize, SA |
Academic Posts
| 2018 | MFA Examiner, COFA UNSW |
| 2017 | Visiting Artist, Nevada State College, Neon Museum, Las Vegas |
| 2011– | Adjunct Professor, Centre for Creative Arts, LaTrobe University Melbourne |
| 2006– | Adjunct Professor, School of Digital Media, Tianjin Academy of Fine Art, Tianjin, PRC |
| 2003–6 | Head, School of Visual Communications, KvB/Raffles Institute of Technology, Sydney |
| 1998–9 | Australian Post Graduate Award, University of Technology Sydney |
| 1997–07 | Member, Board of Directors, 4a Asian Australian Art Association, Sydney |
| 1997–00 | Graduate Exhibition Coordinator, UWS Nepean Design, Sydney |
| 1997 | Visiting Lecturer, Faculty of Environmental Design & Landscape Architecture, UC Davis, USA |
| Guest Speaker, Department of Cultural Studies Graduate School, University of Melbourne | |
| 1995 | Pacific Bridges, Conference Presenter & Advisory Board Member, UC Berkeley & UC Davis |
| Accreditation Advisory VETAB Board Member, KVB Institute of Technology, Sydney | |
| 1993 | Chair, Culture of Experiment: Multimedia & Video Symposium, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney |
| 1992–03 | Lecturer, School of Design, University of Western Sydney Nepean, Australia |
| 1987–93 | Lecturer in Drawing for Ceramics, Sydney College of the Arts, Australia |
| 1987–91 | Lecturer, Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, NSW Australia |
| 1980–3 | Head, Department of Art & Craft, Whyalla Community College, South Australia |
Selected Projects as Curator
| 2011 | Always on My Mind-home: Australia-Korea Project, Museum of Art Seoul National University, S. Korea |
| Always on My Mind-home: Australia-Korea Project, GANA Gallery @ Seoul Square, S. Korea | |
| 2010–11 | Arena – A Post Boom Beijing, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sydney; LaTrobe University, Bendigo; James Cook University, Townsville |
| 1999–06 | www.octomat.com, Project Director, R & D Production, Davis, CA & Las Vegas |
| 1999 | Octomat, World Gaming Congress & Expo, Las Vegas Convention Center |
| Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Project Contemporary Artspace, Wollongong; Casula Powerhouse, Sydney | |
| 1995 | Just a Memento, Regional Survey Design of Souvenirs, Project Contemporary Art Space, Wollongong |
| The Art of Tourism, NSW Tourism Conference, Casula Powerhouse | |
| 1994–7 | To Remember Buy, Design Innovations in Souvenir Design, University of Western Sydney Nepean, NSWRGA, Casula Powerhouse |
Selected Solo Exhibitions
| 2020 | Three Wise Monkeys, Las Vegas City Hall; Sahara West Library; Hollywood Recreation Center, Las Vegas |
| 2017–18 | Babalogic in the Desert, Sahara West Library, Las Vegas |
| 2017 | Babalogic in the Desert, Clark County Rotunda, Las Vegas |
| 2014–15 | Empire Bookends (Red Sky), University of Chicago Beijing Center, PRC (curator Judy Farquhar) |
| 2013 | The China Code (Retrospective), Southern Florida College Melvin Gallery, Lakeland, Florida |
| 2012 | Babalogic, Feature Artist, Art Asia Miami |
| ShiWaiTaoYuan (Commission), The Opposite House, Beijing | |
| 2011 | Happy Toy, Feature Artist, Art Asia Miami |
| Happy Toy, Tally Beck Contemporary, New York | |
| Happy Toy, Art Atrium, Sydney | |
| 2010 | Chinese Toy Stories, Red Gate Gallery @ the Opposite House, Beijing |
| 2009 | Babalogic, 24HrArt, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia |
| 2007 | The Depth of Ease, Anniart Gallery, 798 Art Festival, Beijing |
| 2005 | Octogene Commission, 10th Anniversary, Capitol Theatre Restoration, Sydney |
| 2000 | Daze of Our Lives, Casula Powerhouse, Sydney |
| 1999 | Octomat, World Gaming Expo & Congress, Las Vegas |
| 1998 | IndyCar Slot (Artist-in-Residency), Gold Coast Arts Centre, Australia |
| Profile of a Counter, Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada | |
| 1993 | Gallery 14 Contemporary Artists Series, Queensland Art Gallery, Australia |
| 1992 | Games & Voices, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney, Australia |
| Adapt Enforce IV, Queensland Art Gallery, Australia | |
| Adapt Enforce V, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts | |
| 1990 | Re-sited References (Retrospective), Queensland University Art Museum |
| A Craving for Authenticity, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art |
Selected Group Exhibitions
| 2025 | Perception, Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, Las Vegas, USA |
| 2024 | Nuworlds, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney, Australia |
| 2022 | Parallel Wanderings, Artspace, Sydney, Australia |
| 2020 | Between Two Worlds, Newcastle Art Gallery |
| 2019 | Nanjing Paper Biennale, Nanjing, China |
| Calm Down, Keep Calm, WangXing Garden Residence, Beijing | |
| No Waste Form, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, Brisbane | |
| 2018 | 48, fRuityspace, Beijing; i-project space, Banqiao Hutong, Beijing |
| The First Ulaan Bataar International Art Festival, Outer Mongolia | |
| Transcendence, New Art Atrium @ Surry Hills, Sydney | |
| Artists for Guide Dogs Australia Benefit Exhibition, Customs House, Sydney | |
| Plural: New Acquisitions, UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, Las Vegas | |
| 2016 | Chinese Characters in Contemporary Art, SongZhuang Da Di Art Centre, Beijing (curator Pan Xinglei) |
| 2015 | Second International Zhongshan Art Expo, Guangdong, PRC |
| Reverse the Perspective, Mebo Culture, Wangjing Soho, Beijing (curator Tang Zehui) | |
| Death, Casula Powerhouse, Sydney (curator Toni Bailey) | |
| 2014 | Loose Canon, Artbank Collection Exhibition, Waterloo, Sydney (curator Daniel Mudie Cunningham) |
| 2013 | DaBao/TakeOut, Winnipeg Plug-In ICA; Surrey Art Gallery, Vancouver (Canada Tour) |
| REDvolution, Hong Kong House, Sydney | |
| Snake, Snake, Snake, Sydney Chinese New Year Festival, Sydney Town Hall | |
| X-Field, RMIT Design Research Institute, Melbourne | |
| Arena/China Code, Pinnacles Gallery/James Cook University, Townsville | |
| 2012 | ZhongJian/Midway, China and Australian National Tour |
| 2011 | Always on My Mind-home: Australia-Korea Media Project, Seoul National University Museum of Art; Gana Gallery @ Seoul Square |
| China One World One Home 2011, Qing Tong Museum, Ordos, Inner Mongolia | |
| X-Field: Jumping City, RMIT @ CU Space 798 Beijing | |
| My Australia, Kuandu University Art Museum, Taipei, Taiwan | |
| 2010 | Fat Art 2010, Today Art Museum at the Village, Beijing |
| Dialog IV, Bild Volksbad University of Applied Sciences, Jena, Germany | |
| Asian Landmark, A Toyota Art Project, Iberia Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing | |
| 2009 | ANZ Australian Film Festival, Sanlitun Village Beijing |
| Labyrinth III: Dangerous Liaisons, Li Gallery, CaoChangDi, Beijing | |
| Another Silk Road, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, University of NSW, Sydney | |
| 2008 | 2D/3D Negotiating Visual Languages, PKM Gallery Beijing |
| Vernacular Terrain 2, IDAp, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane | |
| 2007–8 | Journey/Process, Red Gate Gallery Beijing; Eastlink Shanghai; Hong Kong |
| 2007 | Art for Television 1994–98, MAAP ArtRage, Griffith University, Brisbane |
| 2005 | McClelland Contemporary Sculpture Award Finals, Melbourne |
| Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award Finals, Melbourne | |
| 43rd Fisher's Ghost Winner Open Art Prize, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney | |
| 2004–5 | Isle of Refuge, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney; Monash University Art Museum |
| 2004 | Gambling in Australia: Thrills, Spills and Social Ills, Sydney Powerhouse |
| 1997 | Pan Pacifica Multimedia Festival, Groningen, Holland |
| Lawyers Guns & Money, Experimental Art Foundation, Adelaide | |
| 1996–8 | Death: An Insight on Life, Penrith Regional Gallery, Australian National Tour |
| 1994–6 | Elvis + Marilyn: 2 x Immortal, Boston Institute of Contemporary Art; Cleveland Museum of Art; Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte; Baltimore Museum of Art; San Jose Museum of Art; Honolulu Academy of Art; Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa; Tennessee State Museum, Nashville; Houston Contemporary Art Museum (curator Wendy McDaris) |
| 1991 | Australian Perspecta 1991, Art Gallery of New South Wales |
Public Collections
| Art Gallery of Western Australia | |
| Artbank Australia | |
| Arts Council of South Australia | |
| Australian Embassy, Beijing, China | |
| Australian Embassy, Paris | |
| Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada | |
| Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney | |
| Casula Powerhouse, Sydney | |
| Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris | |
| Craft Council Northern Territory, Australia | |
| Curtin University of Western Australia | |
| Deakin University, Australia | |
| Galerie Cannibal Pierce, Paris | |
| Griffith University, Queensland | |
| Hunan Normal University, China | |
| Ipoh Gardens Development Australia | |
| Lanyon House, ACT | |
| LaTrobe University, Australia | |
| Laura Civic Centre, South Australia | |
| Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, Las Vegas, USA | |
| Modern Sky Indie Music, Beijing, China | |
| Moët & Chandon Foundation, Epernay, France | |
| New Parliament House, ACT, Australia | |
| Orange Regional Gallery, Australia | |
| Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery, Tasmania | |
| Queensland Art Gallery, Australia | |
| Queensland University Art Museum | |
| Smart Museum, Chicago, USA | |
| South Pacific Forum Collection (National Gallery of Australia) | |
| Tamworth City Gallery, Australia | |
| Ulaan Baatar Art Festival, Mongolia | |
| University of Wollongong, NSW | |
| Wollongong City Gallery, NSW |
Exhibition Publications
| Happy Toy Ed. Laurens Tan, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9871189-1-2. 60 pages. Foreword by Tally Beck; essays by Gina Fairley, Judith Farquhar, Gordon Laurin, Norie Neumark, Angela Zito. Published by the School of Communication, Arts & Critical Enquiry, LaTrobe University, Australia and Tally Beck Contemporary, New York. | |
| Always on My Mind – home Ed. Boyoung Jung & Laurens Tan, 2011. ISBN 978-89-97044-02-3. 76 pages. Published by the Seoul National University Museum of Art; Australia Korea Foundation. | |
| Arena – A Post Boom Beijing (First Edition) Curator & editor Laurens Tan, 2010. ISBN 9781921437212. 60 pages. Foreword by Michael Rolfe, Director, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sydney. Published by Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sydney. | |
| Arena – A Post Boom Beijing (Second Edition) Curator & editor Laurens Tan, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9871189-0-5. 68 pages. Published by the Centre for Creative Arts, LaTrobe University Melbourne; Hazelhurst Arts Centre Sydney. | |
| The Depth of Ease Ed. Laurens Tan, 2007. Essay by Alison Kubler. 30 pages. Sponsored by Red Gate Gallery, Anniart Gallery, Beijing PRC; Australia China Council. | |
| Other previous publications available on request. |