An Introduction by George Rivera

  • Former Executive Director and Chief Curator, Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, Ca.

  • Former Director and Curator, San Jose Art League Center & Galleries, San Jose, Ca.

  • Former and Current Art Faculty: Mission College, Santa Clara, Ca. (current), Ohlone College, Fremont, Ca. (current),UC Berkeley extension, San Francisco, Ca. (current), De Anza College, Cupertino, Ca., Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, Ca.

The San Francisco Greater Bay Area has been and continues to be one of the two main Art centers in California, with Los Angeles being the other. There are many counties around San Francisco which make up this region known as the Greater Bay Area. One of these is the South Bay, also known as the heart and center of Silicon Valley. The South Bay Area is home for a large segment of the entire region’s Art Community, and it is here that I will be writing this introduction for one of the most recognized Artist and Art Teacher in this community, May Shei.

Growing up in Taiwan, May Shei was surrounded by Art and Culture and the influence of the Hakka Culture. She received her formal and contemporary training as an artist majoring and minoring in both commercial art design and traditional Chinese painting in various mediums. After graduating May Shei worked as a professional commercial artist and graphic designer. During this time her work was published in numerous ads, marketing media, and general advertising. Besides working successfully in this field for a large advertising firm, May Shei entered many art competitions and received numerous awards for her own fine art compositions and ideas. This was a sign of what was to become a highly successful career as an internationally award-winning and exhibiting fine artist for her extraordinary paintings.

After leaving Taiwan with her husband and starting a family here in the United States and ultimately settling down in the South Bay community in Cupertino.  May Shei has continued both her own creativity as a painter and as an Art Instructor where she has lectured, demonstrated and teaches both Traditional and Contemporary Chinese painting. 

Throughout her career as an artist and Art Instructor May Shei has worked, trained, assisted, and honored many “Living Master” artists and teachers from Asia. In traditions often forgotten by contemporary artists, May Shei has made the effort to revive the traditions of recognizing and honoring these “Living Masters” and introducing them to contemporary artists and art communities.

Because of this dedication to the Traditional methods, techniques, and philosophies of Chinese Painting, May Shei is able to introduce, teach, and pass on these significant traditions to new audiences and communities. This ability includes sharing the understanding of 5000 years of history, fundamentals of art and design, languages, customs and cultures, and social values throughout this period of Art.

Her ability as a recognized new generation “Master Artist and Teacher” to merge both the Traditional traditions with Contemporary approaches and ideas brings together the strength and vision of the past and present. May Shei’s painting and calligraphy classes both online and in-person at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto are always well attended with many more on wait lists hoping to be added in when space is available. An Art Instructor sought after by many Art Organizations from throughout the Greater Bay Area, May Shei is in constant demand to teach.

May Shei has and continues to engage in community involvement throughout the Greater Bay Area’s art and cultural groups and organizations in roles including serving on many Boards, teaching, lecturing, painting demonstrations, advisor, volunteer, and Artist Member. She continues to support Art Groups and Associations throughout the South Bay region including five Arts Groups currently.

She has served on the Boards of the San Francisco Chinese Art Association as both Secretary and Vice-President, and of the North California Hakka Association among others.

In 2019 May Shei established “Contemporary Art Association in the USA” and currently serves in the role as President. In this role and in the mission to promote contemporary art to a global community she travels overseas to Paris, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Japan primarily.

As an Artist, May Shei’s artwork has been recognized, honored, and awarded with numerous exhibitions and awards Nationally and Internationally. Very few contemporary artists have had the opportunity to be presented the opportunities and honors of having work recognized and given solo and group exhibitions on the American,  Asian and European continents at such a young age.

For me, I am always amazed whenever I have to opportunity to stand in front of her paintings and just allow myself to “just surrender” and let go as I let the painting take me where ever it wants. This is the same experience I have felt while looking at great Abstract Expressionist paintings by Mark Rothko, or Joan Mitchell, or Helen Frankenthaler, or Bernice Bing. It’s a personal journey, and each path is unique to the individual viewer who experiences each work.

So how does an artist who works with representational imagery in general achieve this result similar to these Abstract Expressionists? I believe it comes from the deep understanding and result of bringing together the Traditional Painting and Calligraphic traditions and elements of over 5000 years in combination with contemporary approaches in painting and Art. This bringing together of over 5000 years of life through Art creates a visual language that transcends just identifying and unraveling the visual metaphors that are there to enjoy, there’s a much deeper message and level of communicating that comes with experiencing these works.

Steeped in the traditions of great cultures in Art and combining the voice, ideas and imagery of contemporary Art, thoughtfully and through great insight and understanding, May Shei has become both a Master Artist, and a Master Teacher.

- George Rivera

Former Executive Director and Chief Curator, Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, Ca.

Former Director and Curator, San Jose Art League Center & Galleries

San Jose, Ca.

Former and Current Art Faculty:

Mission College, Santa Clara, Ca. (current), Ohlone College, Fremont, Ca. (current),UC Berkeley extension, San Francisco, Ca. (current), De Anza College, Cupertino, Ca., Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, Ca.

Written December, 2022

Biography in Chinese:

從年少時就出外專攻藝術，我無 時不以身為美濃客家人為傲，美濃 百年老鎮的保守，造就了她古拙純 樸之美，而老家位於國家公園口， 更是藴育了豐富的自然生態美，満 山遍野的竹草䕨蔓，是我們工藝的 好材料，花鳥蟲蝶，是譮畫的好素 材，三合院、祠堂、古刹裏的詩句 、壁畫是幼年學畫的好教材，信手 拈來都是範本，而對畫畫的熱愛與 努力，從無一日停歇過。

由唸書時的接稿子，到後來參加主 流、以致於到參加國際性的沙龍展 出，一直是我創作、遊學的重要方 式，從得奬經歷中，我更堅定自己 作品的定位，也更珍惜可以畫我所 畫的自由及開濶。如今能夠專心創 作，及專注於現代水墨畫的推動， 全因為有家人的支持、好友及畫會 藝友們的鼓勵，鞭策自己努力，不 但是報答疼惜我的家人、好友，也 是圓攵母親未能完成的藝術之夢。

感謝多年的專業設計磨練，讓我在 思考現代水墨畫作時，能夠有深一 層的點、線豐富面，把我要敍發的 情感，能夠更完整的表達出來細腻 的脈動，那些兒時祖毌、外婆、親 娘啓發過的故事，曾深深感動過我 的文化，我現在也把美麗的回憶， 用丹青舖陳在宣紙、絹布上，和兒 女、學生，愛好者再次同遊歴。

 

General Inquiries:

May Shei (artist)

maysheiartwork@gmail.com

 

Awards

  • 2019 Triton Museum “Salon at the Triton annual 2D competition” second place.

  • 2017 Cupertino distinguished Artist Award Winner

  • 2017 juried into Salon d’Automne 2017 Paris

  • 2016 Two pieces juried into Salon d’Automne 2016 Paris

  • 2015 Juried in Art Revolution Taipei, international Artist grand prize competition

  • 2015 World peace art competition, honorable award. Chinese painting.

  • 2012 Juried in to Triton Museum Watercolor competition

  • 2009 “Misty mountain” University Art best of show, Chinese painting

  • 2008 LGAA 1’st place “Home coming” Chinese painting

  • 2005 Cupertino 50th Golden Jubilee, 1st place Oil paintings

Solo shows

  • 2024 Art Revolution Taipei, booth F8, Taipei

  • 2023 Triton Museum of Art, Spirit in Bloom: May Shei's Ink and Watercolor Worlds, Solo Show , Warburton Gallery Santa Clara, California

  • 2023 UCSF Women’s Health Center, Floor 3, May Shei Solo Exhibition, San Francisco, CA

  • 2022 Olive Hyde gallery, Fremont, Journey of Color May Shei Solo exhibition

  • 2019 Pacific Art League, Palo Altos, MA Y S H E I : C O L O R I N ME D I T A T I ON 陳菊美現代水墨展

  • 2018 New Taipei City Hakka Park Yi-Jing-Fang 新北市客家園區個展

  • 2017 Wellington Gallery Solo Exhibition, Taipei, 台北心晴美術館邀請個展

  • 2016 Culture Center of Taipei Economic & Cultural office’s Gallery, Solo Exhibition,San Jose, California, 美國舊金山台北經濟文化辦事處南灣華僑文教中心文化藝廊個展

  • 2015 Everrich Galley, Solo Exhibition, Kaohsiung International airport, 高雄國際机場昇恆昌藝廊個展

  • 2014 Everrich Art Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Taipei, 台北昇恆昌內湖旗艦店文藝畫廊個展

  • 2013 Yibao Auction, May Shei Solo Exhibition, Taipei, 怡寶國際拍賣公司陳菊美畫作專場

  • 2012 Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Does-Ming Art Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Taipei, 台北-國立國父紀念館, 德明廳個展

  • 2011 798 Art Zone Jin-Sin Art Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Beijing, 中國北京798藝術村-見心會館個展

  • 2010 Hou beiren Art Museum, Solo Exhibition, Shanghai, 中國昆山市侯北人美術館個展