Shirley Zhong is a college student at San José State University, majoring in Digital Media Art, focusing on digital design and illustration. As someone who has been heavily involved in portraying emotion in her work, Shirley’s main goal is to reach a broad audience in hopes that the stories shared through her work will make them understand themselves to a fuller extent. Under the belief that the world is currently evolving into a more digitalized format, Shirley aims to utilize the digital arts in the best of her ability. In order to advance her skills and knowledge, she works on personal projects, introduces new techniques and skills in her practices, and studies the works of others to diversify her knowledge.

“I explore the deeper meanings behind what can be overlooked. I think it is important for people to look upon themselves, how they think, and how they behave in order for us to thrive as a community. Everything in this world is connected in some way, and by exploring topics, such as identity, emotion, and human connectivity more thoroughly, it may allow us to become more authentic with ourselves and the people in our surroundings. In order to achieve the deep connection between the audience and my art, I focus primarily on technique and concept, hoping to curate the most accurate representational piece possible for my intentions. This relates to why most of my work leans towards realism - to capture that authenticity I strive to express.”