SHIBA WARD (b. 1965) Contemporary Urban Scene Painter by Jeremy Tessmer

Shiba Ward is an emerging Southern California painter trained at the Art Center College of Design. His works depict the urban environment in big cities like Los Angeles.

Table Of Contents

• I. BIOGRAPHY
• II. AN ANALYSIS OF THE ARTIST'S WORK
• III. EXHIBITIONS
• IV. EDUCATION
• V. PUBLICATIONS
• VI. WORKS FOR SALE BY THIS ARTIST

I. Biography

Shiba Ward was born in 1965, San Fernando, CA.

He showed an early interest in drawing and visual art at age 5 and continued to pursue and cultivate these interests well into adulthood. Shiba attended California State University Northridge and obtained a BSME (Bachelor of Science Mechanical Engineering) in 1990, which he applied in the Aerospace industry as a systems engineer, for various companies such as Northrop Grumman, Honeywell International and Boeing.

In 2001, Shiba left the Aerospace industry to pursue a long time interest in academic painting and drawing. He applied to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA in the spring of 2001 and graduated with a BFA- Honors in the spring of 2005.

II. An Analysis of the Artist's Work

Shiba Ward paints miniature scenes which perfectly capture the enormity of the city and man's relationship to his urban surroundings. On one level, the paintings are documentary works about Los Angeles and Pasadena. On another level, the works attempt speak to the loneliness of a big city and man's troubled relationship with the anonymity of urban life.

The texture, the subtlety of color and even background atmospheric effects are all strong qualities of a good Shiba Ward work. The artist often paints with an exceptionally fine brush to capture the tiniest of details that trigger a sense of realism. The intimate scale of his works, too, invite viewers in to scenes which are the antithesis of intimate.

I roam the city, seeking out those moments within the urban landscape that evoke some kind of emotional response. I’m searching for irony, melancholy, contradiction, loneliness and heroism: The elegance and balance of a classical architectural façade juxtaposed against the corrugated roofing of a dilapidated warehouse; The hard working American immigrant who labors long hours for little compensation; The timeless laborer who finds solace from the work day in the 20 minute afternoon break.

In painting, I strive to engage the viewer directly and convey the essence of my experience through a sensitive and tactile depiction of the subject matter. The process of planning a painting is as important to me as the act of painting itself. I’m concerned with good drawing, composition, shapes, color harmony, value structure, texture and atmosphere. I’m concerned with all of these things to the extent that they support my initial vision and inspiration for the work. - Shiba Ward

III. Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

2006 "Shiba Ward: New Works" Sullivan Goss, Santa Barbara, CA

Group Exhibitions

2005 "Scenes of American Labor", Sullivan Goss, Santa Barbara, CA

2004 "In Search of America: Art of the American Scene", Sullivan Goss, Santa Barbara, CA

IV. Education

2005 BFA with Honors, Art Center College of Design

1997 MBA, Pepperdine University

1990 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Cal State Northridge

V. Publications

1. Society of Illustrators Los Angeles #43, 2005
2. American Illustration Annual #23, 2004
3. Art Center College of Design- Catalog, 2004
4. Applied Arts Illustration Annual #13, 2003