World Renowned Artist Brings His Show Home

Conventional is not the way to describe Highland Park artist .

Shee, , thinks children make the best art critics. He also has used a lifetime of networking in the medical profession along with an MBA from Northwestern University to launch his career as a painter.

Educated as a physician in his native Taiwan, Shee arrived in the U.S. as a 26-year-old doctor in 1965. He eventually acquired specialties in pathology and nuclear medicine.

However, he did not pick up a paint brush until 1993. Since then, his artwork has been displayed in 50 shows on four continents.

Painting did not enter his mind while running the pathology lab as a professor at the University of Wisconsin Medical School for 13 years. While there, his employer sent him to Northwestern University where he earned his MBA in 1980.

Shee moved to Northbrook and established a laboratory in 1983. He later sold his business and spent some time as a consultant. By 1993, he was looking for something to do, so he decided to paint, becoming self-taught in the art form.

“I educated three children and my wife was still working,” said Shee, who was undaunted by the thought of becoming a painter at 54.

“You need three things: a brush, color and a canvas,” Shee said. He bought brushes at a store and proceeded to put his choice colors on canvas. He finished his first painting in early 1994, a lily pad. “It was inspired by the [Chicago] Botanic Garden,” he added.

Shee then became prolific, completing 40 paintings in 1994 and then wanting to show them. He began to contact galleries about displaying his work.

“They asked to see my portfolio and slides,” Shee said. “I didn’t want to do that. Then I remembered the medical conventions I attended.  The doctors attended. Their spouses would shop and spend money. The doctors always complained [about the shopping].”

Shee then started to find out where different fields of medicine were having gatherings in 1995. He located conventions where he had contacts in Washington, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and, of course, the Chicago area.

“I called them and told them I would set up a show of my paintings in the lobby so the spouses could see the art rather than shop,” the artisan said. “They said, ‘How much will it cost.’ I said, 'Nothing.' ”

Filling his van with his 40 paintings, Shee headed to Washington to start his personal coast to coast art fair. He just wanted to display his work. He had no intention of selling anything. That changed at the final show in Los Angeles when someone wanted to buy a painting.

“I said they were not for sale,” Shee said. “Her assistant whispered to me, ‘She really wants one, just name a price.’ I said $5,000. She said, ‘That’s cheap, I’ll take two.’ ”

One of the paintings was his original lily pad. Now, some of his paintings sell for $25,000.

Since then, Shee has displayed his work in other countries, including Japan, Taiwan, France and Argentina. For the most part, he has arranged showings the same way as he did in 1995, using his entrepreneurial skill.

It took a visit to his Highland Park home and studio by Taiwan Vice President Annette Lu in 2005 to bring his show to The Art Center. Shee and his wife—architect Isabel Chan—moved to Highland Park in 1999. Their home has room to hang 100 paintings and the yard is adorned with sculpture.

“She [Lu] was coming to Highland Park to see my work. I felt the mayor should meet her,” Shee said.

He called Mayor Mike Belsky to invite him to his home to meet Lu. Belsky was enthralled with his artwork and started the effort to bring a show to The Art Center.

“His paintings have been compared to [Paul] Gauguin,” Belsky said in remarks honoring Shee with a proclamation at the Highland Park City Council meeting on Feb. 28.

As much as he enjoys creating paintings and sculptures, Shee relishes watching children comment on his work.

“Children are very thoughtful. They are full of energy and life,” he said. “They tell you what they really think. It’s the closest you get to the truth.”

Shee also has a serious side using his art to send a message.

He is particularly proud of a sculpture in his yard showing three men representing different cultures holding hands around a tree trunk beneath a three-dimensional Chinese character meaning peace. Between the men and peace are three narrow pillars.

“It’s important we hug the trees. This is for the environment,” Shee said. “When there is world peace, I’ll fill them [the pillars] in.”

 For now, the pillars separate peace from its seekers. Shee awaits the day he can complete that sculpture.