Meet the artist
Shirley is based in London, (and sometimes, in Oxford) UK. Her childhood was spent in the countryside of Hong Kong, with ten dogs, four cats, wild lizards, geckos, Mimosa Pudica (Sensitive Plants), many crayons and Lego bricks. She has always drawn and painted for as long as she can remember; one of her earliest childhood memories was sitting at the dining table in her house, sketching on pieces of thin cardboard from various packaging of household products.
Not a fan of noisy shoes. Loves Zelda Games Series, Mimosa pudica and non-safety matches.
Rooted in the natural world, Shirley draws her inspiration from her surroundings
Trees, plants, flowers, squirrels, foxes, cats, sparrows, coal tits and magpies; and friends from an art group in East London (which she has been a part of for over a decade) are her main sources of inspiration. Her love of nature allows her to explore the process of turning art form from literal to abstract images and illustrations. The cultural diversity in London is a major influence on everything that she does. Life is a journey – she captures the moments with the various mediums.
Shirley fell in love with woodcut printing in summer 2019; she loves and enjoys every stage of the process immensely from drawing, carving and printing.
“We are part of nature, if it disappears, we disappear with it.” Réveillons-nous, Avant l’orage.
Exhibitions
2026
Festival of Cats. Margate, UK. Group Show.
Open Print Exchange. Cologne, Germany. Group Show.
Down To Earth Exhibition. 54 The Gallery, London, UK. Group Show.
2025
SASA Christmas Exhibition. London, UK. Group Show.
The Art of Isolation End of Year Exhibition. London, UK. Group Show.
Ironbridge Printmaking Competition. Shropshire, UK. Group Show.
Printmakers Council at 60. Belfast Print Workshops, Belfast. Group Show.
Printmakers Council at 60. Oxo Tower Wharf, London, UK. Group Show.
Printmakers Council at 60. Footprint Gallery, Shropshire, UK. Group Show.
2024
Connect:24. London, UK. Group Show
We Are Part of Nature – Series 2. London, UK. Solo Show.
Festival of Print with East London Printmakers. London, UK. Group Show.
Draw Each Other Portrait Exhibition, London, UK. Group Show.
Surface Challenge Exhibition, Barbican Library. London, UK. Group Show.
Artist in the Window, Art of Isolation Gallery. London, UK.
2023
Comos & Flowers, London, UK. Group Show.
Inspired By, Emma Mason gallery, Eastbourne. Group Show.
The Tapestry of E3-E14, London, UK. Group Show.
Kaleidoscope, London, UK. Group Show.
Draw Each Other Portrait Exhibition, London, UK. Group Show.
2022
Draw Each Other Portrait Exhibition, London, UK. Group Show.
We Are Part of Nature, London, UK. Solo Show.
2021
TOUCH Festival, Morecambe, UK, Group Show.
Summer Salon, Van Der Plas Gallery, New York, USA, Group Show.
Adrian Dutton’s Life Drawing Exhibition, London, UK. Group Show.
Draw Each Other Portrait Exhibition, London, UK. Group Show.
A New Beginning, Van Der Plas Gallery, New York, USA. Group Show.
2020
Class of 2020, London UK. Group Show.
Under The Mask A Metamorphosis, Van Der Plas Gallery, New York, USA, Group Show.
Art of Isolation, London UK. Group Show.
A Changing Landscape – The Female Eye, Van Der Plas Gallery, New York, USA. Group Show.
2019
Portraits Exhibition, Hoxton, London UK. Group Show.
Summer Salon, Van Der Plas Gallery, New York, USA. Group show.
2018
Portraits Exhibition, Hoxton, London, UK. Group Show.
Painting Exhibition, Chignat, Soubrebost, France. Group Show.
2017
Portraits Exhibition, Hoxton, London, UK. Group Show.
Painting Exhibition, Chignat, Soubrebost, France. Group Show.
2016
Painting Exhibition, Chignat, Soubrebost, France. Group Show.
2015
After Hiroshima Exhibition, SOAS, London, UK. Group Show.
1993
Painting Exhibition, Jericho, Oxford, UK. Solo Show.