Exploring the breadth and depth of life through arts, culture and curious destinations.

Hi, I’m Shaopeng. 

If you were to ask me where I come from, I would say that I was born in Taiwan, raised in North America, and educated in Italy and the United Kingdom.

During the day, I work as a jewellery designer and creative strategist, responsible for formulating blueprints and roadmaps for new jewellery collections. At night, I’m a writer who blogs about my experiences in the art and culture scenes of the city where I reside.

Since I was little, I’ve been a frequent visitor to exhibitions and museums, as I believe these visits allow me to change the way I see the world. Over the past five years, I’ve also become an active theatre-goer, with a particular fondness for Chinese opera (both Peking opera and kunqu) and contemporary dance.

In addition to performances, I attend western classical music and traditional Chinese music concerts. I believe that buying tickets and blogging about my experience is a way of showing my support for the performing arts. And I write in English so that my content can be accessible to readers around the world.

My interest in art led me to complete a master’s degree in art history at SOAS, University of London, with research focus on Chinese and Islamic art. Given my multicultural background, I often call myself a “cultural sponge.” As a polygot, I’m fluent in more than five languages, including Mandarin, English, French, Italian and Cantonese. Currently, I’m learning Arabic (MSA), which I consider to be the world’s most beautiful language, but also the most challenging to master.

So why do I blog? 

I tend to have a poor memory, and so I find writing the best way for me to remember the unique experiences I’ve had overtime. While many people believe that an image speaks a thousand words, I find that an image is often insufficient to express the feelings I had at the moment I pressed the shutter. My writing process, which almost always involve a thorough research on the subject, also urges me to reflect on my experiences. To me, writing is creating.

Just in case you’re wondering how to pronounce my name, Shaopeng rhymes with Chopin.