Renee Tao

Fine Art – Painting / Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

School of Fine Art

I arrived in San Francisco alone in 2017. Although I returned home for two years during the pandemic, nearly nine years have passed since I first came here. This city holds many of my memories and has become my second home.

The sun is my source of energy. In difficult moments, it has given me warmth and
strength. From sunrise to sunset, light transforms everything it touches. Colors shift, shadows stretch, and familiar streets appear new again. Ordinary scenes become
meaningful. In my oil painting series Golden Sun, I bring together the city and sun light,
because they are inseparable in my life.

I like to wander without a destination. Just when I think I know San Francisco, it appears another side of its beauty. I capture these moments with my phone, then select the ones that stay with me. I begin with small canvases for color studies, adjusted perspective and palette based on my feelings. Later, I complete the work on a larger canvas.

Color is central to my practice. I am especially drawn to the San Francisco sunset. It shifts gradually from gold to pink and violet, and finally to deep blue. In that light, everything changes: buildings, streets, and even people. Each time I see it, I am reminded of the quiet beauty of the world.

Through my paintings, I hope to preserve these beautiful moments and offer strength
and hope to those who may feel uncertain or lost—just as the sun once did for me.

Artist Bio:

Renee Tao born and raised in China, the artist began her formal art education abroad at 17 after her talent was recognized early on. Her studies were temporarily interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that deeply influenced her artistic perspective. She resumed her education in 2023 and received awards in Contemporary Art and First Place in Figure Painting at the ArtU Spring Show (2024–2025). In 2025, she exhibited two oil paintings in collaboration with the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum.

She graduated in 2026 from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a BFA in Painting. Now based in San Francisco, her work features vibrant color, expressive brushwork, and textured surfaces, reflecting her belief that even in darkness, light and renewal persist.