Nicolas F. Shi is an artist in Washington, D.C. He is best known for paintings that create an illusion of depth through contour lines like those on a topographic map, with the space between adjacent ones of the contour lines being filled by a single color.

Early life and education edit

A long-time Washington, DC resident, Shi was born in El Salvador to Chinese parents. In 1980, he left his war-torn country and came to the United States to attend college, receiving a master's degree in architectural engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1986.[1] He practiced architecture and engineering for more than ten years before dedicating himself to painting. His work is influenced by his Latin American upbringing, his Chinese heritage, and his formal education in the United States. He mixes the bright colors of Central America with the harmony and simplicity of traditional Chinese painting and the boldness found in contemporary American art.[2]

Art edit

He has received several awards in the United States and El Salvador.[3][4] His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions across the U.S., as well as in El Salvador at the Museo Nacional de Antropología Dr. David J. Guzmán,[5][6] and in Spain, and has been featured on a postage stamp of El Salvador.[7] In 2015, one of his paintings was selected for the Designed to Recycle public art program in Washington, DC.[8] In 2021 he was one of the artists invited to The Phillips Collection's juried invitational, Inside Outside, Upside Down, exhibition, a show that was described by The Washington City Paper art critic as forcing "us to remember a time that left us 'confused, battered, and disoriented' through the eyes of 64 D.C.-area artists."[9]

Shi's work is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution and the Inter-American Development Bank, both in Washington, D.C.[1][10][11]

Exhibitions edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Award-Winning Washingtonian Artist Nicolas F. Shi Shares his Journey and Inspiration". Salvadoran Cultural Institute. 2020-07-03. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  2. ^ "Nicholas Shi". U.S. Department of State - Art in Embassies. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  3. ^ Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de El Salvador. "Nicolas Shi". ISSUU. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  4. ^ "Pintor Salvadoreño Nicolás Fredy Shi". LEON JODIDO 76. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  5. ^ Pineda, Grego (2010-06-14). "Nicolas Shi: El color de una vida". DiarioCoLatino.com - Más de un Siglo de Credibilidad. San Salvador. El Salvador C.A. Archived from the original on 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  6. ^ "Pintor Salvadoreño Nicolás F. Shi". Libros y Letras, Revista Cultural de Columbia y America Latina- Noticias Culturales: Literatura y artes. Vol. 5, no. 612. 2011-03-14. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  7. ^ Gallegos, Guillermo Federico. "El Salvador Philatelist, Year III, No 1". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ "Public Art That Isn't Garbage, but Collects It". Bloomberg.com. June 1, 2015. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  9. ^ "City Lights: Inside Outside, Upside Down: 64 Artists Opine on 2020 - WCP". Washington City Paper. 2021-08-09. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  10. ^ "El Otro Rostro del Inmigrante". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  11. ^ "Art Collection | IADB". www.iadb.org. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  12. ^ "Nicolas Shi". ArtSlant. 2012. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  13. ^ "Nicolas F. Shi". Artomatic 2009. Archived from the original on 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  14. ^ "Visions of Dignity". Biggs Museum. 2010. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  15. ^ "Nicolás F. Shi - Gallery photo". El Tiempo Latino - Noticias de Washington DC. 2013-10-26. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  16. ^ "Exhibición de arte Iberoamericano en el mes de la Hispanidad". Embajada de Honduras en Washington D.C. 2013-10-10. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  17. ^ "Gateways/Portales | Smithsonian". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2019-02-18.

  This article incorporates public domain material from Nicholas Shi. U.S. Department of State Art in Embassies. United States Department of State. Retrieved 2014-02-02.

External links edit