Tianlan Deng ‘CAVE’ at Royal Society of American Art Gallery, Photographed by Aoqian Wu, 2020.
Born in Shanghai, Tianlan Deng holds an MFA in Interior Design (or Interior Architecture) from The Pratt Institute, NYC. His work involves interdisciplinary practices including text-based installation, projected video media, architectural design and traditional Asian painting.
Moving to the USA after 20 years growing under Chinese school educational system, Tianlan Deng has built a strong interest in institutional topics and architectural spatial design, with a focus on public school and progressive education. His master thesis is a design project cooperation with Rockaway Park High School at Beach Channel Educational Campus, NYC to creates art installations with projected media while improving the school’s prison-like interior atmosphere, offering an alternative learning experience and promoting students recruiting. Using miniature diorama, light, shadow, and video, Tianlan creates immersive experiences to unveil hidden similarities between current Chinese and American education and their political agendas.
Tianlan Deng was the grand winning commissioned artist by Gatton College of Business and Economics (KY), for its Atrium Glass Wall Design in 2016 which features in its permanent collection. Other commissions involves The Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center (KY), Fairmont Pace Hotel (PRC), and Tianjin Crowne Plaza (PRC).
Tianlan was an art instructor at The University of Kentucky (2014-2016). His works are exhibited internationally in the USA, Europe and China.