Alvin Tan Yuan Kiat was born in 1979 in Singapore. He began his art education in 1997 at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in Singapore. In 2003, he embarked on a journey to Australia where he pursued his higher education in the art of ceramic making at the Chisholm Institution in Victoria and the National Arts School in Sydney. Upon his graduation with a Bachelor’s degree in fine arts with Distinctions from the National Art School in 2006, Alvin undertook his postgraduate program at the Australian National University in 2010. Under the sponsorship of NAFA, Alvin successfully obtained the Master of Visual Arts in 2011.

As a clay specialist, Alvin Tan produces ceramic objects that attempts to present subjective interpretation of the existential dilemma of our current age. He had vividly exhibited locally and aboard. Alvin was a featured Singaporean artist at the Singapore High Commission in Australia at the celebration of Singapore’s 46^th National Day. His works are collected by private collectors from Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Australia, as well as various institutions- The Australian Institute of Architects, The Canberra School of Arts, NAFA Gallery, Ngee Ann Kongsi, are also one of his collectors.

From directing and managing the Min Yue Pottery Studio in Malaysia, to establishing The 8^th Floor Creative Space locally, Alvin possesses knowledge and skill set of art entrepreneurship. With more than a decade of art teaching and art practice behind him, he currently runs and manage the 7879 Gallery and Clayworks, an integrated contemporary art gallery and ceramics art studio in Singapore co-founded by him.