Nicolas F. Shi
Nicolas F. Shi
Neo Pop Impressionism
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2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival Official Artist
It was a great honor to have been selected as this year's official artist for the
2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival.
For more pictures and videos click below
A BIT ABOUT THE ARTIST
A BIT ABOUT THE ARTIST
Expanding the concept used by French Impressionists of the eye mixing colors, Nicolas F. Shi's unique style lets the viewer blend the bold patterns of bright colors to create an image in striking detail.
The impressionists used light to reveal the surface of objects, whereas Shi uses geometry as a hint to what lies beyond the surface. By observing variations of color, he discerns geometric planes that allow him to peer into the structure of the subject, to give it a mass and solidity that increases its reality. The illusion of depth is achieved by applying topographic principles, much like contours in a relief map. This illusion is made more obvious by squinting while viewing the paintings from a distance, becoming almost three-dimensional in dim light.
The impressionists used light to reveal the surface of objects, whereas Shi uses geometry as a hint to what lies beyond the surface. By observing variations of color, he discerns geometric planes that allow him to peer into the structure of the subject, to give it a mass and solidity that increases its reality. The illusion of depth is achieved by applying topographic principles, much like contours in a relief map. This illusion is made more obvious by squinting while viewing the paintings from a distance, becoming almost three-dimensional in dim light.
Nicolas F. Shi, a long-time Washington, DC resident, was born in El Salvador from Chinese parents. In 1980, he left his war-torn country and came to the United States to attend college, receiving a Masters degree in Architectural Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1986. 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.
Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum - Washington, DC
Interamerican Development Bank Permanent Collection - Washington, DC
Museo de Arte (MARTE) - San Salvador, El Salvador
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington, DC
University of Maryland - College Park, MD
Ana G. Méndez University System - Wheaton, MD
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores - San Salvador, El Salvador
Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Taipei, Taiwan
Embassy of El Salvador - Washington, DC
Former Embassy of El Salvador - Taipei, Taiwan
Embassy of El Salvador - Berlin, Germany
Important Collections