Strength and whimsy dance hand-in-hand. It echoes the boldness of Pop Art while flirting with the quirky, surreal narratives of Lowbrow. Shao reimagines feminine power. Her sassy portraits are populated by chimeric heroines – women as powerful spiders, agile leopards, or sporting mischievous tails. Guangzhou-born and London-based, she draws from cult film posters, the punch of 70s comics, the lurid glow of retro TV game shows, and the underworlds of games like Castlevania.

This journey began in her teenage years with 圆 Circle, a series of diary-like drawings. Built in these early years, her process begins with the chaos of sketching before moving to meditative colouring – all animated by her partner Bofan Liu. Her dedication to this vision has attracted a clientele that appreciates her unique voice. For Vivienne Westwood: a heroine in oversized pink gloves. For MTV: Street Fighter power unleashed – a stylish gut-punch, swift as Chun-Li’s kicks. Forget demure. Shao’s work is where femininity gets fantastical, fun and – of course – LOUD.