Born in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, in 1966, Tan Chin Kuan was awarded a scholarship to study in the Malaysian Institute of Art at Kuala Lumpur, in 1985. He graduated with a diploma in Fine Art in 1987, and began teaching at Saito Academy of Graphic Design at Kuala Lumpur in 1989. Tan's early involvement in creative drawing started in 1982. He has written poetry, novels, songs and critiques for newspapers and periodicals.
