Works

chankalun’s rare fusion of tradition, identity and sustainability in neon – poetic art and bespoke commissions trusted by collectors and institutions worldwide.

chankalun (at) theneongirl.com

I approach artistic creation as a form of attention — a way of perceiving the world through the dialogue between craft, language, time, and nature. Trained in both design and technology, I transform neon — once a commercial medium — into a living, temporal language that reveals invisible systems shaping perception.

My practice reinterprets the hand-bent glass tube as a calligraphic gesture unfolding in time: a rhythm of breath, heat, gravity, and duration. Drawing from Chinese calligraphy, I work within the philosophy of “seeking perfection within imperfection“, where control and accident coexist, and vulnerability becomes a condition for meaning. Neon’s unforgiving precision sustains the light; imperfection preserves the humanity of the gesture.

Photo: Tamara Benarroch
An iteration of “Terre” developed at Atelier 11 (Cité Falguière) research residency and pivoted my practice into a time-based one, seeing my works as a living body.

My current research draws on the neuroscience of language learning, particularly how different writing systems shape perception over time. Language is not acquired instantaneously, but through repetition, rhythm, and embodied memory. Reflecting this process, my work increasingly takes the form of time-based installations and sculptures. Light appears, fades, pulses, or shifts gradually, making visible the otherwise invisible processes of making, learning, and remembering. The evolution of the installation over time becomes integral to the work itself: the artwork does not represent time — it completes itself through it.

By allowing the work to change, hesitate, or unfold, I render process perceptible. The gestures, decisions, and constraints of making are embedded in the temporal behaviour of light, echoing how meaning forms through accumulation rather than immediacy. Rooted in Hong Kong and expanded in Paris, my practice bridges East and West, tradition and reinvention, exploring how language, perception, and ethics evolve as living processes shaped by attention, duration, and care.

  • Silhouette Collection
    Traditionally viewed as a technical and rigid medium, neon here becomes deeply personal. Through The Neon Girl project, I embraced my own physicality—bending glass to the rhythm of my body rather than against it. This collection explores body image, self-perception, and resilience.
    Works like Every Body is a Beach Body celebrate diversity and imperfection, turning neon into a medium of empowerment and collective storytelling.
  • Sustainability Collection
    This series explores the tension between neon’s technical precision and the expressive nature of cursive script in Chinese calligraphy, embodying the philosophy of perfection within imperfection. By engaging with invisible natural forces—currents, breath, and air—it reflects on the delicate balance between human control and nature’s unpredictability.
    Works like Courants, Light as Air, Terre and Haiijaii integrate upcycled materials and interactive components, addressing the environmental cost of neon while reimagining its sustainable future.
  • Blue and White Collection
    Rooted in cultural memory, this collection bridges Eastern and Western craftsmanship by fusing porcelain and neon—two delicate, handmade mediums. Inspired by the global trade of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, these works reinterpret historic motifs through cobalt glass and hand-painted ceramics.
    Works like Neo(n)-Antique Art exemplifies how tradition can be reanimated into contemporary dialogue, honoring heritage while creating something rare and new.

Across these collections, my practice is both immersive and participatory: inviting audiences not only to witness but also to reflect on how light, culture, and environment intersect. In doing so, my work asks: how can a precious craft from the last century illuminate the most urgent questions of our time?

Contact

chankalun (at) theneongirl (dot) com