There are few visual artists who have mastered two very different media. Yudong Shen is one of them. He not only produces beautiful Chinese ink paintings but also holds an oil painting degree from one of the few "Ivy-League" art institutes in China.
Born in China, Yudong showed artistic abilities at a young age and began formal training. He moved to the United States in the late 1990s. His work is well known in Asia and the United States and he has won numerous awards. Since moving to the U.S., he has developed a distinctive style by using richer colors in his traditional ink paintings.
Yudong has had one-man shows in Chicago and Minneapolis and his work has also been featured in exhibits in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. A couple highlights of the awards and honors:
- In In 2023, the “Seen By Me” episode featuring artist Yudong Shen received a Midwest Regional Emmy® Award.
- In 2011, 2017, 2018 and 2022 he was honored as an Outstanding Art Educator in Carnegie Hall.
- In 2018, he won First Prize 2nd time in Minnesota State Fair Fine Art competition.
- His work was selected as “People’s Choice” at 2017 Minnesota State Fair Fine Art competition.
- He was invited as the watercolor category Judge for the 2016 Minnesota State Fair Fine Art competition.
- In 2015, Minnesota Original interviewed Yudong and broadcasted on TPT Chanel 2.
- In September 2012, his painting was accepted by the FineArt and Calligraphy Juried Exhibition at the National Museum of China in Beijing and collected by theMuseum.
- Judge for 2012 National Sumi-e Society of America Annual Show (Sumi-e is Japanese for "ink painting")
- First Prize in 2012 Minnesota State Fair Fine Art competition, watercolor category
- Best of Show in the 2006 National Sumi-e Society of America annual show
- First Prize in Chinese Ink Painting category in China national fine art exhibition in 1997
