Awards – Jily 2020

My name is Emily Shih. I am an self-taught artist who lives in Taiwan. I work primarily in

acrylic and watercolor. My artwork has been shown in exhibitions in Taiwan, New York, South

Korea, South America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

I fell in love with creating art at an early age and has never stopped in the pursuit of this passion.

I started to paint in 2009 and I have been painting for 11 years.

Paul Cezanne's artistic concept has a great influence on my work.

He pays great attention to the volume of the objects and the depth of the images. For this reason,

he gave up the linear perspective method. This volume is not expressed by lines, but by the

color blocks freely combined by the author. I personally admire Cezanne's works and his art

practice and persistence in art.

Most of my works are depicting natural landscapes, such as sunsets, mountains and rivers,

reflections of water, places I have travelled and places I want to go. In addition, I like the

themes of positivity, optimism and joy. I want people to look at my artworks and feel the same

thing that I do - peace, happiness, joy and always believing in something good.

I use the color block composition to paint because I feel that using this method can make the

image present a good 3D effect, and the flat color block has more tension than the traditional

realistic painting. Such color blocks are like a large piece of rough-cut colored paper, layer by

layer to create depth of field and 3D effect. This silhouette style is very attractive to me and can

give people more reverie and fun. I think flat coating without shadows can bring a sense of

volume, and bright colors have a decorative effect.

Before I paint, I use image processing software to segment the image, and then I arrange the

geometric shapes and various hue blocks alternatively and simplify the details of the scenery. In

the process of painting, I will adjust the shape and color to make the picture present a

harmonious effect. I would like to show the spatial extensity, rhythm and the impressionism

with the colors, and furthermore I hope to construct new imagery and resonance visually.

In times of uncertainty, art is more than beauty or decoration — it's a tool. Art can heal and

bring us together even when we're apart. I hope my role as an artist is to inspire, connect, and

collaborate.

I think art is subjective, so everyone's feelings and preferences for art vary from person to

person. I hope that people can feel peace, harmony and joy when they look at my paintings, but

if they have different feelings and interpretations, I can accept it, because it may bring me new

inspiration.

For me, art is about falling in love with something, it’s about the feelings it conjures up inside

you. Since I started painting, I have been very interested in it, because it can bring me strength,

calm, moving and sense of achievement.

My artworks are inspired by nature's beauty. I love using rich and vivid color on painting. By

piling up different shapes of hue blocks, I transform the realist world into a bright and splendid

world of my own. This is how I praise nature, and a way of self-expression.

Continuous creation! To give yourself more opportunity to increase the chance of exposure and

try new things. In addition to enriching your own inner, setting a goal for yourself is also very

important!

The path of an artist is not easy and lonely, but it is your choice. Many people give up and quit

in the middle of the road, and many people's dreams are killed in reality before they start. So put

your mind, stick to it, and don't forget the original intention. I think this is the mentality that you

must have as an artist!