Wire sculptor Victor meets 11-year old Sabriel
Published: 4 Aug 2021
Time taken : ~10mins
If you could choose any medium to create art with, what would it be? For Victor Tan, it would be wires and wires alone. Through his wire sculptures, he explores endless possibilities and investigates the ways to contribute to make this world a better place.
Video reproduced with permission from the National Arts Council.
Wires are incredibly versatile as an art medium. Sturdy yet malleable, they lend both strength and fluidity to the piece. While a single wire, in its unaltered state, represents the most basic of visual elements—the line—wires can be molded into any shape, transforming from the two-dimensional line to a three-dimensional sculptural form. Wire sculptors often create a loose outline of the shape they envision, followed by looping, coiling, braiding, weaving, crocheting, and other various techniques to give the sculpture volume and strength.
Victor Tan, a visually impaired practicing sculptor, earned himself a reputation in the art scene with his unusual and persistent choice of medium, wire. His work is characterized by the use of wire and wire alone. Coupled with his unique techniques, he investigates existential ideas about humanity, the isolation of the human emotions in the moment, and through the passage of time and life. Some of his signature wire sculptures can be found along Sentosa Broadwalk and Orchard Central Rooftop Garden.
See more of Victor Tan's works.
Quick tips for wire sculpting beginners
Discover more contemporary wire sculptors and their works.
A look at the life of pioneering Asian-American wire sculptor, Ruth Asawa.
Commissioned by National Arts Council (Singapore), Pretty Exciting Stuff is an ongoing video series featuring conversations between everyday Singaporeans and our talented visual artists. Get to know our local artists and their mediums and see what goes on behind the scenes of this exciting stuff called visual arts!
