Digital artisan colours in our world

Posted on Wednesday, August 16th, 2017

Computer Science grad Eric Chan learned how to program his unique creative visions at Algonquin College

Don’t let his alter ego EEPMON fool you: Alumni Eric Chan isn’t a superhero, but he is a superstar artist.

The ground-breaking digital artisan literally invents his own canvas: his imaginative, multidisciplinary work combines computer code and drawing – a transformative merger of handmade and digital design.

Case in point, a performance exhibit at the Ottawa Art Gallery that used algorithms from Google’s weather service to create ever-changing art in real time.

While his work has been exhibited around the world, he remains an Ottawa fixture. In 2013, he partnered with Canada Goose to create a stylized, limited edition jacket; the Synthesis Parka featured everything from geese to maple leaves. He designed the Bridgehead coffee cup, and he’s currently working on a massive 100 by 16 feet installation for the Canada Science and Technology Museum.

Chan’s unique creations are shaped by his experience in the College’s Computer Science program, which he completed in 2003. “I owe a lot to Algonquin,” Chan says, while praising the “positive, optimistic” community on campus, his insightful teachers, and the program’s state-of-the-art resources.

“The computer side of things re-wired me,” he said. “Now, when I sketch things out I’m also thinking programmatically, and when I am programming I am also thinking visually.”

The aspiring artist knew he wanted to explore the digital universe, but he needed to learn the art of computer programming – including user interface design – to bring his ideas to life.

Chan is also an interactive multimedia design graduate – a joint program of Carleton University and Algonquin College. His classroom lessons gave him the digital tools to follow his artistic muse – not to mention become world-renowned for combining fine arts and technology.

Closer to home in 2010, he taught computer foundations and design at the College. Chan sees teaching partially as a “moral obligation” to shape the next generation – to “not just teach the tools, but to inspire (and show) how to apply the knowledge in the real world.”

He has lots of advice for aspiring artists and digital creators: be entrepreneurial, work hard and don’t be afraid of your own ideas. Take risks. And travel every chance you get. (One of Chan’s biggest artistic inspirations is his constant exploration of the planet.)

“Take your art out there for the world to see,” he says. “If you can put smiles on peoples’ faces because of your work, why not?

“Use your art to explore the world…. The artist path never ends, it just keeps on going.”

Chan is also a digital artist in residence at Algonquin’s Applied Research and Innovation Centre, where he can be found one or two days each week employing cutting-edge tools like the College’s laser-etching engraving machine. He praises the College’s increased focus on innovative and collaborative.

As for his alter-ego, EEPMON is a play on the words ape man.

“The monkey is my spirit animal,” he says, noting he shares the animal’s personality traits in being mischievous, clever and adventurous. “Dive into the unknowns, dive into the uncertainty. That’s where the adventure is.”

While he calls Ottawa home, Chan’s adventures take him around the world. His international clients include Marvel Entertainment, Microsoft Xbox and Mini Cooper. Famous owners of Chan’s work include Hollywood producer Brett Ratner, musician deadmau5 and the Bruce Lee Estate.

Chan considers himself a new type of creator – an artist of the digital age. For him, coding is no different from paint, and a computer is no different than a paper canvas. Just as the digital world reflects contemporary society, Chan feels his art reflects our modern way of living.

“Technology is like a paint brush,” he says. “It’s a tool; we use it to create things.”

For more on Chan and his alter-ego, visit https://eepmon.com/

For more alumni profiles, visit 50 Years of Stories.

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