‘Junhan Shen: Between Self and Folktales’
Junhan Shen is a fascinating visual arts artist who combines cultural identity, personal history, and folkloric elements to express her creative talents. Born in China and raised in Melbourne, Australia, her artistic career took her to New York City, there she earned her bachelor’s degree from the School of Visual Arts and is currently enrolled in a graduate arts program. Her work is a dynamic interplay of diverse individual forms of expression that shape the creative process and resemble a sophisticated dance that connects the personal and the cultural, which forefronts the past and the present. Originally inspired by Chinese ink painting, she now works with a variety of ink colors, to which their poetic quality appeals to her, she told us.
“I like delicate, detailed paintings. Realistic elements against wide, open backgrounds evoke sensitive and tender emotions in the viewer and allow room for contemplation.”
Her works are abundant in metaphors and symbolism and are often based on extensive research, including historical contexts and fieldwork documents. She favors the combination of ink and paper as a bond that helps her create blurred images and express a deep inner sensitivity in her artwork. For example, “Braid with Blood” is one of her works created between 2020 and 2023, is a powerful commentary on racial discrimination during the pandemic. The work depicts three girls covering their eyes, ears, and mouths with braids, symbolizing the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” approach to racial prejudice. This work illustrates Shen’s ability to address complex social issues through her art and confront viewers with uncomfortable truths.
One of Junhan Shen’s notable works is the 2019 series “LUNA” created in ink on paper, which reflects Shen’s initial identity and experiences as an artist in a foreign land. Drawing on Chinese cultural symbolism, in which the moon symbolizes longing and reunion, Shen subtly incorporates her hair as a visual element. The hair gradually fades within a circular frame, simulating the waxing and waning of moon phases. This skillful artistic choice conveys and commends deep nostalgia when she thinks of her hometown.
With “LUNA“, Shen deepens her exploration of themes such as cultural identity, personal experiences, and the emotional landscape of the many worlds she knows. In this work, she demonstrates her ability to blend traditional symbols and personal narratives, creating art that is both culturally connected and personally relatable.
Recently, Shen’s attention has shifted to exploring the fragmentation of personal identity through folklore. Where her ongoing series of large-scale drawings depicts ancient Chinese mythical creatures and plants, juxtaposing certain auspicious beings with modern methods of artificial environments. This allows Shen as an artist to explore the meaning of the conflicts in depth while creating a barrier between the connection between what’s personal and the cultural heritage. “Nature connects us, but sometimes society and politics break us up”, says Shen. Her art invites audience to move visually and intellectually in a space that encourages reflection on the cultural, historical and social significance of the present.
Some of her works have already attracted the attention of various galleries, including the Primer and Group Exhibition at the Macy Art Gallery at Teachers College (TC) in September 2024, the SVA Senior Show at the SVA Chelsea Gallery, New York, in May 2024, the Pin-Up Exhibition at the iidrr Gallery, New York, in April 2023, and the XPeng POP-UP Exhibition in several Chinese cities in May 2021.
This explains the numerous awards Junhan Shen has received, including the SVA Silas H. Rhodes Scholarship 2024 and the LAA Art Acquisition, Nicky May Memorial Award for Art 2020. In addition to her illustration series “Fox Escape” which was nominated for the 10th International Illustration Competition “Hiii Illustration” 2023.
Interested in connecting with Junhan Shen’s art world, there are two immediate ways to do so. Follow her on instagram through here Junhan Shen’s and by visiting her website junhanshen.com
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