Meet Cindy Shih | Fine Artist and Digital Marketer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cindy Shih and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cindy, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Having immigrated to Los Angeles from Taipei with my family at the age of three, I’ve always considered myself a half-immigrant. Technically first generation, but mostly American, but my parents made it a point for me to learn Mandarin and ensured I understood and celebrated my Chinese heritage. I made most of my childhood memories right here in Los Angeles.

I grew up in Diamond Bar, in a diverse community all looking to live in a safe area with great public schools. It took living for 20 years outside of LA and traveling the world to fully realize how unique my upbringing was. Living elsewhere helped me realize that being an Asian American outside of California meant something different– and not everyone had the privilege of upward mobility and the chance to celebrate their heritage.

I also recognize that there is a distinct Asian American culture having grown up in San Gabriel Valley (SGV), one that is made up of so many other cultures, that makes the experience so uniquely American. A true fusion and celebration of cultures– Korean tacos, birria ramen, the sushi burrito. That’s how I see my Art: a celebration of textures, flavors and ideas borne out of our heritage that could have only happened here. My work celebrates my Chinese heritage, infuses my thoughts on politics, ideas of race and power, and love for community.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Like me, my art is a bit nerdy, subtly subversive, and decidedly untrendy. I have never been one to chase what’s cool, but I get excited when I notice the extraordinary within the ordinary, or see beauty in mundane details. To me, whether it’s a once in a lifetime pandemic, political upheaval, cultural wars or renaissances– there are always examples in history, or lessons to learn from nature.

When things get overwhelming for me personally or politically, I look to nature, art, writing, or events in history to make sense of present times. It inevitably leads me to connecting the dots through my work, so I use symbolism from literati painting from the Song Dynasty or fresco techniques from ancient Rome to show how interconnected we are as people across generations and geographies.

As a part of that understanding, I believe in the power of sharing your story to cultivate your own community. I recognize the need to document and share our unique narratives in order to find like-minded people across places around the world. Representation matters, and finding a story that resonates with yours helps us all feel less alone. The Internet has been crucial in my ability to share my story and find others whom it resonates with, and even with all it’s problems, social media has given artists the ability to find unique opportunities and create their own spaces as well.

Being an artist is never easy– especially in a place like San Francisco, where living expenses are astronomical. But, as Mr. Rogers famously said, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” And I might add– find out how you can help too. The best way to find the helpers is to become one, and utilizing my strengths and knowledge around art supplies, marketing and social media to help artists gain visibility has paid me back in spades. Also, being brutally honest about money. Artists still need money to continue making work and survive, so getting a day job and healthcare is key.

I traveled to Sri Lanka with the US Department of State earlier this year, to talk to artists and creatives about finding opportunities after a civil war and a recent revolution. I learned a lot from the challenges they faced as creatives in their country, and their problems very much echo ours. Artists deal with the struggle of making money to live and make art the world over. So I lean into what Patti Smith’s advice from William S. Boroughs: “Build a good name. Keep your name clean. Don’t make compromises. Don’t worry about making a bunch of money or being successful. Be concerned with doing good work and make the right choices and protect your work. And if you can build a good name, eventually, that name will be its own currency.”

At the end of the day, I’d love for the world to know that I existed, planted some seeds, and tried to make things a bit better for the next generation.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I think the food in SGV is some of the best in the nation. Unpretentious, authentic, and affordable– and I’ve been told by Korean nationals that the Korean food is better than in Korea. So, if anyone is coming to visit, we’d be eating our way through SGV. Mexican and Asian food: First, noodles at Lan, Pho Ha, or any other Mom and Pop noodle joint nearby. Gotta hit up Jollibee’s for some Chicken Joy, Boba at Sunright, and some Indonesian or Peruvian food (which I think is severely underrated).

We’d probably spend a day in the Arts District, hitting up some galleries and browsing some books at Hennessey + Ingalls, pizza at Prince Street, food at Lasita, drinks at General Lee’s and books again at Now Serving and Matilija Lending Library. Then, Olvera Street and Santee Alley, taquitos at Cielito Lindo. Shout out to the independent grocery stores like El Sereno Greengrocer as well, providing the freshest and supporting local farmers to nourish the community.

A day at the beach- any of them. Newport and Santa Monica are near and dear, but honestly I love any of them and can spend all day there. Seafood at Redondo is a must. For the kids, there’s a day at Disneyland and Knott’s. It’s a cliche, I know, but watching their eyes light up during the parade is a core memory. It’s magic. Okay, this list is already too long but there’s a lot to do in LA- and the best of which, is a good, old fashioned backyard BBQ.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many. I found my voice through meeting other artists in the Asian American Women Artists Association. From there, I met some extremely talented women artists like Lenore Chinn, Nancy Hom, Cynthia Tom, Reiko Fuiji, Serena Lee, Judy Shintani who inspired me to pursue a life making Art. Through the community, I also met Sandra Yagi, an incredible painter- whom I shared a studio with in San Francisco. We then moved to a community run space called Pacific Felt Factory, started by powerhouse community activist, Spike Kahn.

There, I had the space to make more art than ever before, and shared the studio building with incredibly inspiring artists like Rodney Ewing, Truong Tran, Sandra Yagi, Brian Singer, Margaret Timbrell, Jon Fischer, among so many others. The community in San Francisco is so strong, and despite all the blows to the art community through recent years, there have been so many organizations and people like Priscilla and Mike at Arc Studio, Irene Hernandez of Wonderland SF/111 Minna gallery, and others that have supported artists like myself throughout my journey. I am deeply indebted to all of them for my success.

Website: https://cindyshihart.com

Instagram: @cindyshihart

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindyshih/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cindshih/

Image Credits
Photo of me painting in my studio is by Jeremy Joven. Many of the others are by Carlos Lopez, my husband and partner in crime