Brigham Young University Hawaii art student Kisslan Chan was one of only 15 people to receive the Purchase Award, the top prize given at the Seventh InternationalArt Competition held in Salt Lake City, Utah on March 24th, 2006. More than 900submissions were entered into the competition, an event sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held at the Museum of Church History and Art.
"My wife and I have prayed a lot about this competition," said Chan. "Notto get the award, but to connect with the Church art community and the Church leaders in Salt Lake City."
Chan continued, expressing his longtime hope of participating and organizing art exhibitions around the world. "I want to use art as a tool to proclaim the gospel, especially in Asia"
Chan’s award-winning sculptures, "A Big Family," was inspired by he and his wife's desire to raise a large family; an aspiration not commonly found among the cultures of their native country. Both Chan and his wife, Mei Mei Ho (also an art major), are from Hong Kong.
The theme of the Seventh International Art Competition (held every three years) was "Our Heritage of Faith."
"As I thought about what ‘Our Heritage of Faith’ means," explainedChan, "I believe it is the willingness of faithful LDS women to bare children. That is totally different from the world's view."
Chan recently returned from Salt Lake City where a ceremony was held to honor the recognized artists. Upon his return, I was able to interview Chan about his experiences regarding the competition and, more particularly, his award-winning piece.
Q: Congratulations Kisslan, on your success and the recent award from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Museum of Church History and Art. Could you tell us about the award?A: I was honored with a Purchase Award in the 7th International Art Competition.
Q: What can you tell us about the International Art Competition?A: The competition is held every three years since 1985. This competition invites LDS artists throughout the world to participate. There is a theme for each competition. The theme for 2006 was "Our Heritage of Faith."
Q: What kind of artwork did you submit? A: I created a sculpture entitled "A Big Family," an abstract form showing two parents entwisted with six children. The content of the sculpture has to do with the LDS faith. Nowadays, many people do not want to have children, but our faith teaches the happiness of eternal families and that parents should replenish the earth and bring more souls into the world.
Q: How did you match the idea of "A Big Family" to the theme "OurHeritage of Faith?"A: My wife wants to have six children, so I just used that simple idea to form my sculpture. I also wanted to focus on body language; therefore, I haven’t emphasized any facial expression. The style of my sculpture is influenced by a snail; thus, the form of my sculpture mixes the organic snail form with human structure.
Q: What was the most challenging part of making this sculpture?A: Timing is the most challenging part. Clay is a very sensitive medium. Therefore, I had to spend time efficiently in order to finish the form as soon as possible,before the clay got too dry.
Q: Did you encounter any difficulties during the process?A: My original idea was to use bronze as my medium. However, this resource is limited here on island. I decided to use patina to imitate bronze. I think it turned out even better than bronze. I learned that as an artist, I am the one who controls the medium. Artists should not be controlled by the mediums. In addition, after I finished the sculpture, I struggled to find a base. At that time, Brother Toluta’u, who is my professor and a great master, showed up and brought me to his friend's workshop to get a perfect wood base. I felt the base matched the sculpture perfectly. An additional problem I faced was how to ship the piece at a reasonable price and ensure safe delivery. Another miracle happened when Elder andSisterMonson, who are a couple missionary in the 6th ward, had their son and his wife come to visit them for a week. They helped me bring my sculpture to the ChurchArt Museum before the due date. I really appreciate their contribution and love which allowed me to fulfill a dream which I have been waiting to realize for9 years.
Q: Can you tell us about your trip to Salt Lake City?A: My wife and I went to the ceremony in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 24th. It was wonderful. That was my first time to travel to Salt Lake City. It seemed like a honeymoon with my wife. It is also my first time to experience the snow. In the ceremony, I found that there were about 910 art pieces submitted this year. Among all the artists, 65% were from the U.S. and 35% international. The ages of the artists who participated ranged from 19 to 99 years old. I was so impressed when the 99-year-old female artist came to the pulpit together award. Her art work was a piece of quilt that symbolized her enthusiasm in art and in the gospel. There were 198 art pieces that entered into the 2nd round.Of these, 26 were given the Merit Award and 15 art pieces were given the purchase dward.These art pieces will appear in the Ensign and can now be found on the Church website.Also, while I was there I heard a spiritual talk by Elder Jensen of the Seventy. He inspired me to think about what Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Picasso might have painted after receiving the restored gospel. He also said that while all the artists speak different languages, using different styles and mediums,they all share the same message of the Lord Jesus Christ.