Spotlight on David Tan and our new visual arts room

On the rare occasion when academic, researcher, author, and fine art and fashion photographer David Tan (TC 1991) has spare time, he hunts down the best double espresso and tiramisu pairing in metropolitan cities around the world. 

David, who is the Vice Dean (Academic Affairs) at the Faculty of Law at the National University of Singapore and specialises in entertainment law, freedom of speech, and privacy and data protection law, has always had an eye for detail and an appreciation of all forms of beauty. He has a particular love for photography, which developed at Trinity College where he was twice awarded the Andrew Sprague Bursary for Photography and Archives and was photography editor for the Fleur de Lys yearbook. 

David went on to build an impressive photography portfolio, shooting for fashion magazines such as Vanity Fair and Harper’s Bazaar, along with luxury brands like Cartier and Versace – success that he says comes from ‘the curse of an active imagination’. 

Despite his natural creativity, David is most proud of his achievements as an academic, having made it to full professor in less than 10 years. ‘It was a monumental challenge for me to publish over 50 articles, book chapters and case comments, as well as a 300-page monograph, within a decade,’ he says. ‘In comparison, taking great photographs is an easy endeavour!’

As an avid supporter of the arts, David made a donation in support of the visual arts space in Trinity’s new residential building, and he popped in earlier this year to take a look. Judging by the photo, we think he likes it!