JASON SHIH

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TAIWAN

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“I build with metal, but I work in memory.”

Jason Shih was born in 1972 in Lukang Town, Changhua County, Taiwan, a place known for its rich history of traditional craftsmanship. From a young age, Shih developed a deep fascination with folk crafts, temple architecture, and the intricate artistry found in wood and stone carvings. This early exposure to artisan culture fostered in him a strong visual sensitivity and tactile awareness that would later become central to his sculptural work. Throughout his formative years, Shih cultivated his creative abilities in Taipei City, where he was enrolled in a special art education program from elementary school through high school. This ten-year immersion in structured artistic training laid the groundwork for his technical mastery and lifelong dedication to the visual arts.

Wind | Other

$9,500

19 X 29

Wind

Just escaped from the fingers,
dissolve somewhere in the intersection of time and space ahead.
Wind is the transmitter of information,
it can bring what is happening in the distance to people's ears; it can also bring the breath of the sea to the urban jungle.

Whether you pay attention to it or not, it is willful and unruly,
always like a tail that people can never catch, flying away in a hurry.

In 1993, as a sophomore at the Taipei National University of the Arts, Shih chose to specialize in metal sculpture. This decision marked a significant turning point in his artistic trajectory. Drawn to the strength, versatility, and expressive potential of metal, he began to explore its formal and symbolic dimensions through rigorous studio practice. Seeking to further his education and expand his artistic horizons, Shih moved to the United States and enrolled at the School for American Crafts at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. In 2001, he earned his degree with a concentration in Metal Sculpture, an experience that exposed him to new philosophies, tools, and international approaches to sculptural form.

Valley | Other

$8,000

11 X 26

The work is an attempt to understand "mental imagery" and "abstract expressionism" in contemporary art. The creative process is actually like reflecting the poetic sentiment of my original traveling experience: using distinct geometric volumes to present the brilliant sunshine at that time; using dramatic winding arcs to express the circuitous route of the coastline. There are also numerous valleys, or the mountain mists that gently pass through the mountains, and the free sea breeze. The poetic

Following his graduation, Shih had the opportunity to serve as an assistant to the renowned American metal sculptor Albert Paley. In this role, he was involved in the fabrication of fine metal crafts as well as large-scale public artworks. This apprenticeship allowed Shih to deepen his understanding of metalworking at both intimate and monumental scales, while also gaining practical experience in collaborative, site-specific installations. The mentorship under Paley significantly influenced his sense of scale, structural logic, and commitment to craftsmanship. It also reinforced his belief in the power of public art as a vehicle for social and spatial engagement.

“My sculptures explore cultural stories shaped by public space.”

Upon returning to Taiwan in 2002, Jason Shih embarked on a prolific and impactful career in public art. Over the following years, he created more than eighty large-scale sculptural installations throughout the island, contributing significantly to the evolution of Taiwan’s contemporary public art landscape. His works are integrated into urban plazas, natural environments, and institutional settings, where they engage the public through their formal presence and conceptual depth. These sculptures not only serve aesthetic functions but also reflect cultural narratives and shared histories, resonating with the communities that encounter them daily.

Bird | Other

$9,500

35 X 13

From the real world to imaginary time and space
An egret stood by the river for a long time. Standing motionless in the wind, the sun reflects its elegant curves, as if in the streamlined time and space, the round light and breeze are gliding lightly. Condensed into a poetic moment, it seems to have entered another perfect time and space.

The design is intended to present the association of light and waves.
The light source is presented with the sunrise on the sea and the pearls in the big waves. The shape of the waves is used to echo the halo, and the reflected light source is used to interpret the fluidity of the waves. At the same time, it is expected that after the work is turned on, the built-in sound of the waves will be emitted to increase the overall design's sense of situation in the image of the sunrise and the reflecti

Dawn at Sea | Other

$9,500

24 X 27

Shih’s international engagement has also played an important role in his development as an artist. He has participated in several artist residencies, including the Wangsan Kaitian Festival in South Korea, JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design in Australia, and the New Taipei City Gold Museum. These experiences provided him with opportunities to collaborate with artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, explore new materials, and respond to unfamiliar environments. Each residency enriched his perspective and inspired him to experiment with new forms of expression, reinforcing his belief in the importance of cross-cultural dialogue and global artistic exchange.

“Through traditional craft, global residencies, and academic research, I shape sculptural forms that question space, memory, and how art lives within the public realm.”

“I see sculpture as a lifelong dialogue between vision and craft. From traditional carvings in my hometown to contemporary installations across the world, I have always chased the moment when material begins to speak. Whether in steel or in space, I treat each work as a question: how do we remember, connect, and move through the world? My practice is grounded in curiosity and built on layers of learning, from ancient forms to modern ideas. Every sculpture is both an artifact of where I have been and a step toward something I have yet to understand.”

Alongside his studio and public art practices, Jason Shih has pursued academic excellence with the same dedication he brings to his creative work. He earned a Doctorate in Sculpture and Public Art from the China Academy of Art, where he conducted in-depth research into the role of art in shaping public space and civic identity. Complementing his artistic credentials, he also obtained a Master of Business Administration from National Taiwan Normal University. This dual academic path reflects Shih’s holistic approach to art-making, combining conceptual rigor with practical strategy to ensure the sustainability and social relevance of his work.

Turning | Bronze

$9,500

19 X 24

The wind gliding on the water is dense, discrete and aggregated in the light and air current. The invisible energy in the atmosphere drifts along with the light rhythm, sometimes thick and full; sometimes smooth and unrestrained. Like a graceful dancer, whirling and jumping in a serendipitous time and space, like a streamlined and elegant wind.

Shih’s artistic vision is shaped by a wide range of influences that extend beyond the field of sculpture. Among the most formative are contemporary dance and avant-garde fashion, disciplines that explore movement, structure, and narrative in innovative ways. He draws particular inspiration from German choreographer Pina Bausch and British fashion designer Alexander McQueen. Bausch’s exploration of time, space, and the human body aligns with Shih’s interest in sculpture’s capacity to convey kinetic energy and spatial complexity. McQueen’s fearless embrace of dramatic themes and unconventional forms encourages Shih to approach his own work with bold imagination and emotional intensity.

Red hibiscus swaying in the wind. Dancing with enthusiasm, it also radiates blazing light and heat. The midsummer breeze is gentle and the spring scenery is gorgeous. The fields of flowers are blooming and beautiful in their own way, and people are intoxicated in imaginary youth.

Flamenco | Other

$9,500

42 X 19

The formal language of Shih’s work is also deeply informed by the aesthetic principles of Futurism and Constructivism, early twentieth-century art movements that emphasized dynamic energy, motion, and industrial materials. These ideas manifest in his pursuit of sculptural forms that seem to challenge gravity and defy stasis. His sculptures often depict moments of tension, suspension, and transformation, capturing the ephemeral beauty of motion in a fixed medium. By integrating these historical influences into his contemporary practice, Shih creates works that bridge past and present, tradition and innovation.

The work interprets Rabindranath Tagore's chant in "Stray Birds": " Let life be beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves. "

Every life has its own texture, sometimes beautiful and glorious, sometimes reserved and silent.
Under the reflection of time and space, the inner desire to soften and harmonize is combined into a meaningful appearance with the washing of light.
Life becomes a long poem, and people wander in their own magnificent mood.

Summer Flower . Autumn Leaves | Bronze

$9,500

15 X 33

“Residencies gave me new eyes and unfamiliar sculptural languages.”

Continuous Transforming in Time | Other

$9,500

42 X 19

Time is like a spring breeze on the long river.
The wind transforms into the poetic and flowing air.
Time will melt away in an inadvertent moment.
It is like a fleeting moment, leaving behind a brilliant miniature of life like a dream.

The work references concepts of Futurism to interpret dynamic energy.
The form uses highly tense sculptural shapes, light and flowing lines and smooth surfaces to create dynamism and fluidity, thus reflecting the interaction between time and space.

As a professional sculptor, Shih approaches art-making as both a perceptual and emotional experience. He is drawn to the subtle moments of everyday life, observing them with sensitivity and transforming them into poetic expressions through sculptural form. He enjoys the unpredictable nature of shaping materials and the fluidity of forms that emerge during the creative process. For Shih, the act of creating is a way to share the moods, sensations, and stories that arise from daily living. Each piece becomes a vessel for human experience, a visual narrative that invites reflection and connection.

Harmony is the result of people's wish for things to be beautiful and harmonious.
Things are at the right time and place, karma converges, and things happen naturally. Just like color, shape and texture, after all creative conditions are elegantly and appropriately gathered, a ray of harmonious light symbolizing joy, fullness and positive energy is revealed.

Harmony | Bronze

$9,500

29 X 14

Ultimately, Jason Shih views sculpture as a powerful means of communication, capable of bridging material, memory, and emotion. His work embodies a synthesis of technical mastery, cultural insight, and visionary imagination. Through public installations, intimate objects, and cross-disciplinary influences, he continues to explore the boundaries of what sculpture can express. Whether standing in a plaza or resting in a gallery, his creations offer spaces for contemplation, participation, and transformation. In all aspects of his practice, Shih remains committed to using art as a way to engage with the world—through form, through feeling, and through shared experience.

Chasing | Other

$12,500

23 X 35

The red flame emits the energy of light and heat, while the blue flame is an energy universe with extreme spiritual restraint. As willpower continues to pursue light and heat, life blooms with brilliant passion and reflects a gorgeous new world.