The Wizard of Oz

Luis Chan’s art did not concern so much with being western or eastern, but rather he focused on the imagination brought to his works. In The Wizard of Oz, one can find subtle features associated with scenes from the classic movie made in 1939 that bears the same name. Most of the features however came from Chan’s wild imagination and use of a kaleidoscopic range of fantastical colours, and are teeming with childlike whimsy. Originally more of a landscape painter, Chan became fascinated with the television and thus it became a source of his new subject matter. Given that Wizard of Oz is known for its pioneering use of technicolor, fantasy storytelling, music and bizarre characters, it is no surprise that Chan got the inspiration to paint this work having seen the movie on television.
Luis Chan was born in Panama and moved to Hong Kong in 1910. He spent his early days working as a typist in a law firm and designing fonts for a ferry boat company. A self-taught artist who painted in his spare time, Chan’s passion eventually led him to learn western painting techniques through a correspondence course from the Press Art School in London.