It’s hard to stay indifferent to Shawna X’s artwork. An explosion of color, her paintings and installations take some time to digest. But it’s time well spent. Describing her style as “pretty carefree and eclectic,” she told the Dr. Martens Blog: “I draw a lot of confidence from what I wear, what I draw, what I listen to, or who I connect with.”
Moving from China to the US at the age of 7, and currently based in New York, her multicultural background is present throughout her work. “I grew up in-between Portland, Oregon, and Xiamen, China,” she shared. “I came to New York on a whim. I thought I’d be here for a month maximum, then go back to Chicago where I was living. That month became four months and then became half a year and now it’s three years. I never even had a proper goodbye. Insane how life works when you just let it flow.”
Now celebrated for her highly graphical image-making, Shawna X has earned somewhat of a cult following, with more than 27 thousand fans on her Instagram page alone. And with collaborations with brands like Adidas, Adobe, Ghostly International, and New Yorker, it’s clear that she’s here to stay.
Check out some of her eye-popping creations and follow her on Instagram for more.
