Jump to content

Rainbow Chan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Draft:Rainbow Chan)
Rainbow Chan
Born1990 (35 years old)
Occupation(s)Vocalist, producer, artist
Years active2012–present
Websitehttps://www.chunyinrainbowchan.com/[1]

Chun Yin Rainbow Chan 陳雋然 (born 1990), known professionally as Rainbow Chan, is a Hong Kong-born, Australian vocalist, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist.[2][3] After winning FBi Radio's Northern Lights Competition alongside Oliver Tank in 2011, Chan rose to prominence in Sydney's electronic music scene and is considered one of the most innovative musical artists in Australia.[4][5] Chan's works often explore themes of diaspora, mistranslation and matrilineal histories. Her creative output is expansive and comprises experimental pop music, performance, silk painting and installation. [6]

Career

[edit]

2011 - 2020

[edit]

In 2011, Chan won FBi Radio's Northern Lights Competition, which saw her travel to Reykjavík and perform at Iceland Airwaves.[7] She collaborated with Oliver Tank and Icelandic musicians, Just Another Snake Cult and Pétur Ben, to produce The Northern Lights EP, which was digitally released by FBi Radio in 2012.

In 2016, her debut record Spacings was released.[8][9] Spacings centered on the breakdown of Chan's relationship and her experience with love. The album received widespread acclaim.[10] She was nominated for FBi Radio Award for Best Live Act and Record of the Year. Chan was FBi Radio's most played artist that year with her song 'Nest'.[11] 'Spacings' was nominated for FBi SMAC Record of the Year and AIR Best Dance/Electronica Album. In 2017, her single 'Let Me' from her EP Fabrica won the FBi Award for Best Song.[12]

Chan composed the score for ABC documentary The Glass Bedroom and live score for Art Gallery of New South Wales's Starburst: Chinese Film Season in 2018.[13]

In 2019, Chan's sophomore album Pillar was released, blending experimental pop with her electronic music. The album centered on themes of the physical body and emotional mental state, a departure from Chan's love songs.[14] It was nominated for the Australian Music Prize.

2020 to present

[edit]

In 2020, Chan moved into gallery and museum contexts through her visual arts practice of silk paintings, textiles, weavings and embroidery, and presents in select installation performances.[15] Chan’s installations have been exhibited with Firstdraft Gallery, Liquid Architecture, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art and Longli International New Media Arts Festival, China.[16][17][18]

She has performed at the Sydney Opera House, Museum of Contemporary Art, Gallery of Modern Art, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Museum of Old and New Art, Iceland Airwaves and National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.[19][20][21]

In 2021, Songs from a Walled Village, her documentary for ABC Radio National, was a finalist in the 2021 Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Prizes and she was a finalist in the 2021/22 NSW Visual Arts Emerging Fellowship (Artspace, Create NSW and NAS).[22]

In 2022, Chan was recognised in the "40 Under 40: Most Influential Asian Australians Award" for her contribution to arts and culture.[23] That year, she won Artist of the Year in the 2022 FBi SMAC Awards.

In 2023, Chan debuted her theatrical performance The Bridal Lament, which interweaves storytelling, cultural research, history, and research into a musical performance on stage.[24][25] The 'song cycle' is known for its use of Weitou language and cultural traditions, whilst featuring new songs written by Chan. Chan brings to life intergenerational and cross-cultural perspectives on diasporic experiences and the complex history of Hong Kong.[26][27] The Bridal Lament's success has seen it tour nationally into 2025.[28][29][30][31]

Personal life

[edit]

Chan was born in Hong Kong and came to Australia when she was six. Her maternal heritage is of Weitou descent, one of the first settlers in Hong Kong. She began to learn the Weitou language in 2017 and has since performed in the language internationally.[32][33]

Chan completed her Bachelor of Arts in English and Music at Honours at the University of Sydney and received her Master of Fine Arts from the University of New South Wales.[34]

Chan is a passionate mentor in electronic music and teaches in Contemporary Music Studies at Sydney Conservatorium. She plays saxophone, guitar and piano.[35][36] Her influences include FKA Twigs, Teresa Teng, Yellow Magic Orchestra and Björk.[37]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Chun Yin Rainbow". Chun Yin Rainbow. 16 January 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  2. ^ "Chun Yin Rainbow Chan". Wheeler Centre. 16 January 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Gaga Music - Rainbow Chan". Gaga Music. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Creatives - Rainbow Chan". 4A. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Interview #184 - Rainbow Chan". Liminal Magazine. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  6. ^ "Artists - Rainbow Chan". Liquid Architecture. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  7. ^ "Artist - Rainbow Chan". The Saturday Paper. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  8. ^ "Rainbow Chan". Bandcamp. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  9. ^ "Listen to This: Rainbow Chan". Broadsheet. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  10. ^ "Spacings review". Rolling Stone Australia. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  11. ^ "Paid Studio Visits: Rainbow Chan". Para-Site Hong Kong. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  12. ^ "A Farewell to a City That Has Changed Forever". No Man is An Island. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Performance Space". Museum of Contemporary Art. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Faint - Rainbow Chan". Faint Agency. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  15. ^ "In Conversation: Rainbow Chan". Griffin Theatre. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  16. ^ "MOCA - Rainbow Chan". Museum of Chinese in Australia. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  17. ^ "SAP - Rainbow Chan". Campbelltown Arts Centre. 1 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  18. ^ "Retellings: Rainbow Chan x Sin Wai Kin". Phoenix Central Park. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  19. ^ "Rainbow Chan: acts of tender intimacy". Museum of Contemporary Art. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  20. ^ "Fruit Song - Rainbow Chan". Art Gallery of New South Wales. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  21. ^ "NGV Friday Nights - Rainbow Chan". National Gallery of Victoria. 1 November 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  22. ^ "Performance Space". Museum of Contemporary Art. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Exhibition highlight: New commission by Chun Yin Rainbow Chan". University of Queensland. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  24. ^ "Interview with Rainbow Chan". Performance Space. 15 June 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  25. ^ "Rainbow Chan makes her haunting Arts House debut: 'These poignant laments are at risk of fading away'". Beat.com.au. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  26. ^ "'In My Room' With Rainbow Chan". Rolling Stone Australia. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  27. ^ "The Bridal Lament by Rainbow Chan". Riverside Theatre Parramatta. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  28. ^ "In Conversation with Rainbow Chan". Collingwood Yards. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  29. ^ "The Bridal Lament - Arts House". Arts House. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  30. ^ "Connecting with her roots". Western Weekender. 15 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  31. ^ "Interview: Rainbow Chan – The Bridal Lament at the OzAsia Festival". Glamadelaide. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  32. ^ "Rainbow Chan headlines 40th-anniversary program for boundary-pushing experimental arts festival Liveworks". ABC News. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  33. ^ "The Australian musician working to preserve Hong Kong's 'disappearing' dialect". SBS. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  34. ^ "Rainbow Chan: experimental pop artist on her MFA, Björk and bootlegs". University of New South Wales. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  35. ^ "Eating with Artists - Rainbow Chan". Izzy Have You Eaten. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  36. ^ "Triple J Unearthed - Rainbow Chan". Triple J Unearthed. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  37. ^ "Stream - Rainbow Chan - Long Vacation EP". Under the Radar NZ. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2025.


'