Dawn Tan

Part of

The Hatch

Known for her loose and fun water-colouring coupled with handwritten texts and carefully placed paint splatters, Dawn has an obsession with consumption, documentation, food and packaging.

To date, most of Dawn’s freelance projects have been food or packaging related. She’s done drawings previously for Frankie Magazine, Mash Design, and created a issue cover for Harvest Magazine. Most recently, Dawn got to fill the walls at Obus' Flinders Lane store with drawings of plants, and also teamed up with Melbourne retail store Douglas and Hope to create a new range of melamine dinnerware.

Dawn’s work has been featured in the papers (The Age, Herald Sun), magazines (Inside Out, Frankie, Uppercase, Gourmet Traveller) and online such as The Design Files, Michi Girl, Three Thousand, Lifelounge and Share Some Candy.

Place of Birth:

Sunny Singapore

Currently Living in:

Melbourne!

Train, bus, bike, or other:

My boyfriend's trusty car- Nemo. Haha. It's the best.

What's the most important object in your studio?

My Paint palette. I'd cry if I lose it. It's been with my since I was 12.

Paper or Plastic?

Always paper.

If you could resurrect one no longer living person to have lunch with, knowing you will have to return them to the grave right after coffee, who would it be?

My really great friend XD. I miss our good ole' ice choc times!

Preferred method of dealing with an encounter with an acquaintance whose name you can't remember.

Hey!… … (Make it a point to quickly insert a whole lot of questions such as: How are you? You look good! Been busy? What's been going on in your life? Anything cool? Blah blah blah. Hahah)

Why don't you flip the tortoise over, Leon?

(Apart from the cute Tortises in Roald Dahl's Esio Trot, I do not like any other Tortises. They're hard and cold and strange! )

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

A wood Chuck chuck woodchuck woodchuck chuck say what……?

Favourite client so far?

Too many to name a favourite. I can't decide!!!

Favourite imaginary client?

Quentin Blake. NOT that he would EVER need me to draw him something… but you know, I'm just this really big big big fan of his work. I'd love to be able to draw him something one day..

How does your mother describe your profession?

"She's good at art and draws for people."

Coffee or tea?

Neither. I'm a Milo person!

What's your earliest drawing memory?

Honestly, I can't remember. But I do remember my attempt at painting a tiny yellow chick. It somehow became black. Haha.

How do you prefer to spend your mornings?

Having a really good breakfast. Best thing to have-Avocado on toast with some lemon squeezed all over the top. Oh yum. Best way to spend my morning.