Dylan Chan
Selected works
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©2025 Dylan Chan
Peering In/Out (2024)
This series titled peering in takes inspiration from the geometric patterns created by trellidors, exploring their symbolism in both South African and Singaporean contexts. Situated at the thresholds of homes, these barriers evoke notions of security, separation, and social boundaries, while subtly addressing the everyday tensions between inside and outside domestic spaces. In South Africa, trellidors serve as a protective mesaure, and yet also act as a decorative relic of needing that level of safety. Similarly in Singapore, the double door system in public housing mirrors similar concerns around safety, but more often than not act as dividers between what is public and private in a city-state which struggles with a lack of space.
This work delves into the duality of domesticity—both as a space of comfort and as a site of longing or exclusion. By placing emphasis on the architectural object of the trellidor, it brings forth nuanced reflections on homeownership, social division, and the quest for security. The installation also speaks to a larger narrative around contested spaces, hinting at the emotional stakes involved in claiming a sense of belonging within urban environments.
This body of work was created during South Africa x Singapore residency host by BlvckBlock.