Historical information
Shaun Tan is best known for his illustrated books and short films that deal with social, political and historical subjects through dream-like imagery and fantastic creatures. In addition to his book and film work, Tan is a respected and prolific painter. Tan’s paintings capture a sense of place and atmosphere, even when the specific location is not made explicit. Tan says of his practice: “Often I don’t know why I need to paint a certain scene, only that I do, as if to stop it from drifting away too quickly, to just allow a little more time to think about it. Or to just say ‘I saw this’”.
