Sonia (Shang) Shi

An evocative depiction of a white rose, its petals stained with streaks of blood and marked by delicate scars. Near its heart and almost hidden, there lies a purple pearl, symbolising resilience and rebirth amidst pain. The painting captures the duality of fragility and strength, as the rose bleeds yet continues to bloom, its edges illuminating with metallic brushstrokes—a testament to enduring power and transformation.

Sonia Shi (b. Beijing, 2001) is a multidisciplinary artist working between London and Beijing. Her practice explores femininity, materiality, and the cosmic void through painting, sculpture, and photography, weaving together fragility and permanence with poetic precision. A graduate of the Royal College of Art (2024) and London College of Communication (UAL), Shi’s work interrogates the interplay of scarring and rebirth—evident in her recurring rose motifs.