Jason Shih Solo Exhibition
Artist Locale: Taiwan, Taiwan
Medium: Painted ABS, Cast bronze, Cast stainless steel and coated with titanium
Artist Statement
Jason Shih’s artistic vision is shaped by a diverse array of influences, from
contemporary dance to avant-garde fashion. He cites German choreographer Pina Bausch and British designer Alexander McQueen as significant inspirations. Bausch’s explorations of time and space resonate with Shih’s interest in sculpture’s capacity to embody kinetic energy and spatial imagination. McQueen’s innovative approach to contemporary imagery and themes provides Shih with a broad canvas for creative expression.
Shih’s work is also influenced by the aesthetic principles of Futurism and Constructivism, movements that emphasize dynamic energy and continuous motion. These influences are evident in his pursuit of capturing the beauty of movement and the elegant restraint of natural forces. Shih’s sculptures often depict moments of defying gravity, capturing the fleeting beauty of motion in a static form. For Jason, art creation is to share various moods and stories in daily life.
Artist Bio
Jason Shih was born in 1972, Taiwan, where traditional craftsmen are active. He has been interested in folk crafts, temple architecture, wood and stone carvings since childhood. In 1993, he began to specialize in metal sculpture when he was a sophomore in the Fine Arts Department of Taipei National University of the Arts. After 2 years of compulsory military service, Jason obtained his MFA degree in metal from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2001. And then, he served as the famous American metal sculptor Albert Paley’s assistant, involved in metal crafts and large-scale public art work practices. In 2002, Jason returned to Taiwan and began to devote himself to the creation of metal sculpture and public art.
Over 20 years so far, he has completed more than 80 public art works. During this period, in addition to participating in the art residency at the Wangsan Kaitian Festival in South Korea in 2003, and JamFactory, a contemporary craft design center in Adelaide, Australia in 2004. Furthermore, in 2008, he was also selected as the first artist-in-residence of the New Taipei City Gold Museum, Taiwan. While developing his creative career, Jason Shih also did not forget to pursue advanced studies in art theory. In 2015, he obtained his Ph.D. from the China Academy of Art. And, in 2022, he obtained an MBA degree from National Taiwan Normal University. Jason Shih currently lives and works in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. He continues to focus on the diverse exploration of sculpture and public art creation. Education China Academy of Art(CAA), Sculpture and Public Art Ph.D. (China) Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Metal Sculpture MFA (USA) National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), Administration MBA (Taiwan) Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA), Sculpture BFA (Taiwan)