HELLO FAMOUS SHANGHAI
What an amazing view of today’s Shanghai!
Shanghai is one of the world’s busiest seaports and a major industrial and commercial center in China. It leads as a global financial, trade, and shipping center, and it ranks among the world’s largest cities by GDP and population. Mega-innovative Shanghai is also the world’s second-largest city by scientific outputs, ranking just under Beijing, which ranks number one.
As I began researching for my 3-month artist’s residency at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai, I soon realized that I wasn’t just going on another fabulous travel adventure.
It became apparent that I had been gifted with the very rarest of opportunities to write and paint about Shanghai at a time when China and its truly astounding 21st-century contributions would forever be written about in world history.
When I was a university student at American University in Washington, D.C., I took a yearlong course where we read everything from Plato to John Locke to Karl Marx and beyond. I was taught to read with an open mind and learn.
Without the usual Western fears or prejudice—and keeping an open mind—I must say that once again, China is showing the world that long-term planning, strategic thinking, and steady leadership are powerful tools for a nation’s progress.
For a foundational understanding of China’s thoughts and policies regarding what would lead to the manifestation of these awe-inspiring accomplishments, I highly recommend reading all the 600+ pages of XI JINPING, The Governance of China, V, Foreign Language Press, Beijing, 2025.
It’s an excellent read, and it helped me understand many of the 5-year plan steps taken to make all this smart city technology and sustainability become a reality.
HELLO HUANGPU RIVER
Flowing north through Shanghai is the Huangpu River. It is the last major tributary of the great Yangtze River before it empties into the East China Sea.
Qiantan Leisure Park, a revitalized waterfront park directly on the banks of the Huangpu River
Historically, along this river, Shanghai began as a small fishing village and market town. In the 19th century, Shanghai gained global prominence through its domestic and foreign trade and its favorable port locations.
Like many countries around the world, especially in the 20th century, rapid industrialization led to pollution becoming a significant problem; however, flowing directly from China’s central leadership in the 21st century, today Shanghai has become a city with a vision to promote “ecological civilization.”
What is ecological civilization?
Integrated into China’s policy, ecological civilization is a societal model prioritizing coexistence between people and nature. All along the Huangpu River, industrial brownfields are being transformed into a green, people-oriented waterfront.
As an artist preparing to paint Shanghai’s smart city technology and sustainability, and preparing in advance by seeking out visuals to learn from, it was not at all difficult to find an abundance of real-world examples.
According to AI, “Shanghai is undergoing significant ecological development, shifting from rapid economic growth to an ecological civilization focus, emphasizing green infrastructure, urban forestry, wetland restoration, new energy vehicles, green buildings, and biodiversity conservation through green networks, despite challenges from past land reclamation and ongoing urbanization. Key initiatives include creating vast parklands, implementing low-carbon policies, promoting circular economy practices, and integrating nature into urban design to improve air/water quality and resident well-being.”
Here are some photos I downloaded from my Adobe Stock subscription. I’m still here in Northern Michigan (USA) and dependent on stock photos, but I will be taking lots of pictures once I arrive in Shanghai for my 3-month stay, starting in February 2026.
Highway into Shanghai, with the red China Art Museum in the background.
Shanghai and the Huangpu River
Greenery along the Bund, a historically protected older district in Shanghai. My artist residency will be at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel, located on the Bund and along the Huangpu River. Shanghai is a super safe and friendly city, so I plan to take my morning walks here.
As much as I love learning from photos, I don’t usually paint from them. My process is to physically visit and experience different locations.
For me, I need to understand a location’s history (and reading and photos initially help), get to know its personality, and then try to connect with its spirit/soul.
I did this in the painting Sunshine Rising, which accurately captures many land locations in Northern Michigan. Along the shores of Lake Huron and inland, there are bursts of flowers. The soil is rich and the stems somewhat sparse, but there’s a gentle, delicate beauty all around. It’s a place to relax and experience sunshine and happiness.
Sunshine Rising
Locals in this geographic area easily recognize their land’s particular personality and spirit in this art. From an online gallery in Paris, France, this painting sold within a week or so to a business owner I did not know, right here in Northern Michigan.
The day after it sold, a retired engineer, building a new home in Northern Michigan, saw the painting on one of my Facebook posts and asked to buy it. (I told him I’d make him another one. LOL!)
The art itself has also been appreciated internationally. As soon as it was made public, it was included in the Fragments Of The Present Curation by a curator in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.
Beach Time Pleasures
Here is another painting, this one is an abstract inspired by water movement and a geographic location. It was included in the Tides and Traces Curation, Dubai, UAE.
When I get to Shanghai, I will be looking for specific locations, including ones along the Huangpu River, that speak to me artistically. (I’m sure there will be too many to pick from.)
My goal will be to paint evidence-based design floral Impressionism unique to Shanghai, and also to paint abstract art inspired by Shanghai’s many innovative and truly awe-inspiring technological and sustainability achievements.
I recently watched an amazing video on the China Daily news website where Shanghai moved an entire historic building complex using advanced robots. In 2025, Shanghai moved and then put back in place a 7,500-ton historically significant Shikumen-style complex in order to build an underground infrastructure.
Now, that’s preserving heritage, while enabling new development, and demonstrating amazing innovation for urban renewal!
To learn more about me and my art, click here: DOROTHEA SANDRA ART
I have been given the great honor of participating in the SWATCH ART PEACE HOTEL artist residency program in Shanghai, China. From mid-February to mid-May 2026, I will be staying at the hotel, where I will receive living and art studio space.
My delight and focus will be to combine science and art by painting smart city technology and sustainability accomplishments throughout beautiful Shanghai and other super fabulous places in China.
Many people have expressed a desire to follow these adventures. If you’d like to come along online, please sign up below.
Is There Science Behind This Art?
I was one of those odd kids who liked to read the encyclopedia rather than regular children’s books. An encyclopedia set, the British classics, and—my favorite—the entire 28-collection of Time-Life’s Library of Art were in our home’s small library.
While other children were making friends with Winnie the Pooh and The Cat In The Hat, my best friends were Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, Francisco Goya, and other painters from the Time-Life art book collection. Hour after hour and year after year, I learned about the lives of these amazing artistic people, studied their art, and shared many of my deepest thoughts and feelings with them. Something inside me told me they would understand.
One of my favorite artists was Leonardo da Vinci. As a child, I liked how he combined science and art. Maybe that’s why today I like to turn evidence-based, scientific findings into art.
These paintings may look like beautiful works of floral art, but they actually contain quite a bit of evidence-based design science.
The stems are rooted in soil, which suggests a continuation of life. Cut flowers in a vase or a cut bouquet are connected to death since cut flowers are not rooted in life-giving soil and will soon die.
Happy Flowers In Soil, 36”x36” by Dorothea Sandra, EDAC (SOLD, USA)
Peace And Love, 36”x36” by Dorothea Sandra, EDAC (SOLD, Switzerland)
Another example of the science within these paintings is the way the stems have been laid out. I once read in a psychology article that people are wired for survival, not enjoyment. I recently checked this out with AI, and this is what Google AI said:
“Humans are primarily wired for survival, not enjoyment. Our bodies and minds evolved over millions of years to prioritize self-preservation and reproduction. While we do experience pleasure and joy, these feelings serve as motivational rewards to encourage behaviors that aid in our survival.”
In the paintings above, seeing beyond the stems triggers happy brain chemicals like dopamine. Being able to see beyond the stems suggests to our brains that this means safety. Back in the days when humans were hunters, seeing through tall, thick grass kept people safe from hidden predators.
Different evidence-based design examples include the cheerful combination of colors I used and the playful arrangement of the flowers.
Dynamic Cities Of The Future, an abstract work of art by Dorothea Sandra, EDAC
In Dynamic Cities Of The Future—which is in a completely different category of art—science is still very much a part of the design. The idea behind this design is that cities of the future can be fun and happy and super smart and sustainable.
Looking closer, actually inside the abstract art, there are smart city technology and sustainability symbology and iconography as part of the design.
Science and art have been combined to make a work of art.
To learn more about me and my art, click here: DOROTHEA SANDRA ART
I have been given the great honor of participating in the SWATCH ART PEACE HOTEL artist residency program in Shanghai, China. From mid-February to mid-May 2026, I will be staying at the hotel, where I will receive living and art studio space.
My delight and focus will be to combine science and art by painting smart city technology and sustainability accomplishments throughout beautiful Shanghai and other super fabulous places in China.
Many people have expressed a desire to follow these adventures. If you’d like to come along online, please sign up below.
A NEW ABSTRACT ART STYLE RISING
Fresh art style uses the latest scientific evidence and blends it with floral and abstract art.
Really? What makes this art so different?
It’s clean! It’s fresh! It has a dopamine-triggering happy style!
Evidence-based design artist Dorothea Sandra takes the latest scientific evidence and blends it with floral and abstract art.
Take a look at the first page of a recent magazine article about this rising art style.
In 2024, my Smart City Art series was born, and by 2025, it was featured at the 2025 SRI Sustainability Research and Innovation International Congress held at the Sheraton Grand Riverwalk Hotel in Chicago, June 2025.
Smart City Art series at the 2025 SRI Sustainability Research and Innovation International Congresss in Chicago.
ARTISTIC MERIT OF THE ARTWORK
In this 15-Minute Walkability painting below, which was also featured at the 2025 Sustainability Research and Innovation International Congress, I went deeper into the rhythmic pulse of urban life, where swirls of vibrant paths represent the bustling walkability of a smart city.
Each stroke and color choice pulsates with the dynamic interplay of technology and human connectivity, embodying the chaotic harmony of city living.
It’s a visual symphony that invites viewers to explore an abstract yet deeply interconnected world.
This painting brings an energetic and thought-provoking perspective into any space, enhancing the environment with a sense of modern vitality and colorful complexity.
It’s clean! It’s fresh! It has a dopamine-triggering happy abstract style!
15-Minute Walkability is a painting inspired by the science of walkability. It is a work of art that conveys messages, emotions, and ideas. Although an abstract, it does not lack a sense of deliberate decision-making.
SCIENTIFIC MERIT BEHIND THE ARTWORK
The science of 15-minute walkability is the concept that residents should be able to access their daily necessities and basic services within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from their homes. This human-centered approach to living aims to reduce car dependence, promote healthier lifestyles, improve environmental sustainability, and foster stronger communities by integrating amenities and green spaces into neighborhoods.
“With 70% of the world’s population expected to live in urban areas by 2030, cities have an increasingly important role in shaping human health, quality of life, and happiness. Mobility—the ability to move around freely and easily—is integral to the intrinsic value of a city. The renaissance of sustainable urban mobility has led to the reimaging of urban landscapes and urban areas to reclaim the streets and public spaces for people.
Encouraging walking and physical activity improves not only human wellbeing and health of cities but also manifests social, economic, environmental, and political benefits.”
This painting is no longer for sale. During the 2025 SRI congress, I told the University of Illinois I would donate any painting I brought with me to Chicago. 15-Minute Walkability was the painting they wanted.
I have been given the great honor of participating in the SWATCH ART PEACE HOTEL artist residency program in Shanghai, China. From mid-February to mid-May 2026, I will be staying at the hotel, where I will receive living and art studio space. My delight and focus will be to paint smart city technology and sustainability accomplishments throughout Shanghai and other super fabulous places in China. Many people have expressed a desire to follow these adventures. If you’d like to come along online, please sign up below.