Shawna Chow is a New Zealand Artist, Interior Architectural Designer and Behavioural Therapist.

Shawna has always had a playful view of our world. This is reflected in her confident use of colour and bold brush strokes, evoking movement. She likes to exaggerate this movement and the character of each form, to create a feeling of carefree carelessness. Details come across within a layered structure of values and hues of irrepressible colours.

Shawna’s style uses simple primitive shapes and forms which morph into images that are full of humor and delight. Her subjects leap off the canvas with attitude and a joy of life.

Shawna’s approach towards her work is almost child-like in its optimism and view of nature and human relationships. She has observed that her paintings make people feel happy, which in turn makes her happy.

Shawna’s painting commissions have come from far and wide, including New Zealand, Australia, Israel, Europe and the United States. Her painting from an early age was influenced by her grandfather’s collection of ancient calligraphy and Chinese paintings.

Shawna has been a creative director in the interior architectural design industry for over 25 years. Her design firm of 20 years was based in New York City and designed for Sony, Columbia Records, Jennifer Lopez, David Letterman, P Diddy, The Malaysian Embassy, Ambassador of Malaysia to the UN and variety of bars and restaurants. She has worked as Senior Director of Design with Starwood Hotels Worldwide.

Shawna is a behavioural therapist and has worked with children on the autism spectrum for 10 years. She influenced a change in the law in New Zealand outlawing seclusion of children in schools.

Bachelor of Fine Arts and Interior Artchitectural Design, California State University Long Beach.