Michael Shi

Artist | Art Educator | Entrepreneur

Michael Shi is a New York–based artist, fine art and commercial photographer, and art educator whose work bridges the worlds of dance, movement, and visual storytelling. Renowned for his emotionally charged dance photography, Shi has won over 30 international awards and exhibited widely across the United States, Europe, and Asia, including solo exhibitions in New York and Shanghai, and group showcases in Paris, Prague, Dubai, and Greece.

Shi made history as the first photographer ever to hold a solo exhibition at the prestigious Shanghai Symphony Hall, a landmark that symbolizes the fusion of visual art and performance. His images are celebrated for capturing the essence of dance — translating fleeting motion into timeless emotion.

Shi began his dance photography journey in 2012 while pursuing his MBA at Penn State University. His distinctive visual language merges the discipline of classical dance with the fluidity of contemporary emotion, celebrating the human body as an instrument of both grace and strength.

In addition to his artistic practice, Shi is the co-founder of Sunrise Art Group, established in 2014 in Shanghai, which focuses on musical theatre and creative arts education for chi...

• MBA, Penn State University, USA
• M.S. in Statistics, Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, China

Solo Shows
• Colors of Life — Shanghai Symphony Hall, Shanghai, China (Aug 2016)
• Ballerinas in the Flint Hills — Volland Art Foundation, Kansas, USA (Oct 2023)
• Moving Spirits — The Press, Shanghai, China (Feb 2024)

Selected Group Shows
• 1st Philadelphia Dance Photo Expo — Global Dye Works, Philadelphia, USA (Dec 2014)
• Colors of Dance (solo-format) — Chain Theatre, New York, USA (Feb 2015)
• Beyond the Surface — Ouchi Gallery, New York, USA (Apr 2015)
• The Chinese American Dream — Agora Gallery, New York, USA (Apr 2015)
• W.E+ Art Gala — Artosino Gallery, New York, USA (May 2015)
• Natural Realm — Darkroom Gallery, Burlington, USA (Jul 2015)
• Your Move — Art House Productions, New Jersey, USA (Sep 2015)
• Chromatic — Blank Wall Gallery, Athens, Greece (Oct 2015)
• Crazy Kitchen — Fotile Crossover Art Exhibition, Shanghai, China (Jan 2016)
• Swatch Art Journey — Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Shanghai, China (Apr 2023)
• The Year of Dragon Exhibition — Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Shanghai, China (Jan 2024)
• The 24 Windows — Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Shanghai, China (Jun 2024)