Chankalun

Karen Chan (born July 31, 1988), known by her artist name Chankalun, is a neon artist, set designer, exhibition designer, and a visual artist. She is among the few neon practitioners in Hong Kong.

In 2018, she established Ceekayello, a Hong Kong–based art-design studio focused on exhibition and art-related projects, and in 2019, she founded HKCRAFTS, a non-profit arts organization that promotes and preserves Hong Kong culture and heritage.

Life and career

Early life and education

Chankalun was born in Hong Kong in 1988. She studied in the UK at Headington School and in New York and Paris at Parsons School of Design. In 2025, she has also joined Parsons Paris as their teaching faculty in Art Media, and Technology (BFA).

Supporting traditional handicrafts In 2019, she took an interest in disappearing trades and crafts from Hong Kong, such as birdcage making and mahjong tile carving, and then founded HKCRAFTS, a non-governmental organization that hosts workshops to promote fading traditions. in a moving tram from Hong Kong Tramways, with the stated aim to pay tribute to traditional handicrafts.

Neon-making Chankalun focuses on experimental neon-crafting techniques, influenced by her international education and mentors. She was the apprentice of Dutch neon artist Remy de Feyter and Hong Kong neon bender Master Wong Kin-wah, one of Hong Kong's last original neon makers.

Chankalun started neon crafting in order to preserve this dying craft and elevate it to suit modern-day sensibilities. She hopes to reconstruct Hong Kong's neon ecosystem. "a collection of art that uses light as its main medium from 44 more female artists from around the world" published by Light Collective and "Neon Is Not Dead: The Future of a Hong Kong Icon" published by Zolima Culture Guide .

Advocacy

Commissioned by Swiss luxury cosmetic brand La Prairie, Chankalun produced in early 2023 several art installations, including a large-scale art installation, named Light as Air, inspired by the natural landscape of Montreux. It has been exhibited during Art Basel Hong Kong at Tai Kwun Parade Ground, a prominent outdoor location on Hong Kong Island. In her constant effort to produce eco-friendly installations, Chankalun used up-cycled glass, as well as La Prairie's White Caviar waste materials. Chankalun has given talks on neon craftsmanship and cultural preservation at TEDxTinHauWomen, Apple’s “Today at Apple” series in Hong Kong, and the Art Institute of Chicago . She has also led educational workshops at M+ Museum .

Awards

Classic Craft, Modern Meaning exhibition created by Chankalun about local crafts and hosted in a moving tram from Hong Kong, received a gold award in Sky Design awards