Cindy Shih's paintings have been described as accessible, eerily thought-provoking— but most poignantly, harbors a haunting, dark undercurrent which she believes, speaks to the repressive nature of what it takes to succeed in this world as a "model minority."

"My art draws from my personal experience, but aims to give voice and connect with others through a shared narrative. I am inspired by ordinary women who have simply existed, persevered, and endured societal pressures to empower me to create. And I am motivated: because I am finally seeing feminism evolve past a faceless, mass movement, into a global emergence of individuals. Art does not need to be complacent to its contemporary labels. Nothing is more intrinsically rewarding to me than that brief, powerful moment when my work transcends, connects, and communicates a shared understanding between me and another human being. Those are my moments of immense and overwhelming gratitude. This is how I want to make my mark, its what keeps me determined, and this is how I feel Art can bring positive change."

"I grew up in a model immigrant Chinese family who wanted me the best contradictions for me: to be self sufficient in order to find a sugar daddy, and to be a free-thinking woman so I could successfully assimilate to society. Up into my thirties, things looked good: I had a great job at Google and was engaged to a nice, Chinese boy from a wonderful family. Then, one day, I took a mallet to the illusion, shattered my world, and I became a painter. I painted because it gave me a voice I never knew I had before, I painted because I no longer wanted to be silent. I wanted to be the voice for the generations of strong, educated women in my family who coped with mental illness, and years of physical and emotional abuse. I wanted to scream at the hypocrisy in the way I was lovingly raised to be,"someone else's wife," and I was no longer satisfied with silently living up to someone else's expectations. I wanted to contribute more as an individual, as a woman, and as a citizen. I decided that as an artist, I can do much more than just voice my concerns: I could be the hands that shape the definition of Art and pave the way for generations to come."