Cindy Shih


Cindy Shih is a visual artist living and working in San Francisco. Her work is strongly rooted in traditional techniques and principles, including Chinese literati painting, Venetian plasterwork, landscape painting, and realism, although producing thoroughly modern pieces. One of her prominent themes is exploring her personal narrative in a broad context.

Early life

Shih was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Los Angeles at the age of three. She describes her family as a "model immigrant Chinese family" who encouraged her to be independent and free-thinking, but also wanted for her the usual hallmarks of traditional success, such as marriage and assimilation.
She holds a BA in Communication Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles and previously worked in technology at Google. She also received art training to the Art Department of the City College of San Francisco, where she took numerous classes in lieu of art school. She has also studied Fine Arts and Film at the Technische Universität Berlin in Germany and Painting and Creative Advertising at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles.

Career

In 2012 she gave up a job at Google to pursue painting. Her artwork has been described as feminist work that addresses issues of gender, race, and power.
Her studio is located in the Pacific Felt Factory, a warehouse space that allowed her to expand the size of her works. She was interviewed after the Ghost Ship art community which was destroyed by an Oakland area fire.
She is collaborating with companies Savior Faire and Novato to incorporate her art into their products in unique ways.

Awards and honors