MOVEMENT PRACTICE

In addition to painting, I maintain an active practice in movement arts, studying classical Chinese dance and performing solo pieces on stage. Earlier in my time at MIT, I competed with the MIT Ballroom Dance Team. This engagement with dance informs my visual language, bringing a heightened awareness of rhythm, gesture, and embodied movement to my paintings.

Videos:

Spirit of the Plume - Classical Chinese Dance , 2025

Soul of the Sword - Classical Chinese Dance, 2024

BIOGRAPHY

May Sun is a Boston-based painter whose work bridges the logical structure of science with the fluidity of emotional and spiritual expression. Transitioning from chemical engineering to full-time artistry, May’s journey reflects a lifelong curiosity and dedication to creativity. After moving to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, she settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where her love for art flourished.

Her artistic development has been shaped by extensive training, including classes at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), graduate programs, local art organizations, and online study. From 2012 to 2022, she served as a docent and volunteer at the MFA, deepening her engagement with art history and community education.

Now a full-time artist, May works from her studio at 450 Harrison Ave., Studio 413, in Boston’s SoWa Art and Design District. Her acrylic and mixed-media paintings have been featured in solo and juried group exhibitions, including representation at Gallery Kayafas in Boston. Her work is held in private collections and is used as demonstration artwork at the MIT Museum Studio in teaching at the intersection of visual art and vision neuroscience.

A recipient of the 2025 Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant for Creative Individuals and a signature member of the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) since 2024, May continues to gain recognition for her innovative work. Her acceptance to the prestigious Château d'Orquevaux Artist Residency in France in 2026 marks a new chapter. Through vibrant and evocative compositions, May’s art invites viewers to transcend perceived boundaries and reflect on our shared humanity.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My work explores the intersection of emotion, intuition, and structured detail, creating a dialogue between abstract expression and cognitive resonance. The process begins intuitively, with shapes, colors, and forms emerging from my subconscious and personal experiences. These elements—infused with energy from movement, performance, and the natural world—are shaped by my fascination with the unseen forces that drive our lives. Through the lens of science, I delve into the invisible structures of existence, interpreting them through abstract and symbolic expressions.

Each piece invites the viewer to reflect on their own perceptions and experiences, evoking connections through luminosity, texture, and form. My approach combines spontaneity and deliberate refinement, allowing space for emotional expression while paying careful attention to the details that enhance depth and meaning. With a background in engineering, I blend analytical thought with creative freedom, aiming to create art that stimulates not only the mind but the emotions as well.

Ultimately, I hope my work fosters a sense of connection and wonder, encouraging the viewer to engage in a shared experience of exploration, reflection, and celebration of the complexities and beauty of life.

RESUME

Solo Exhibitions

2023

  • Embracing Transcendence, Gallery Kayafas, Boston, MA

2022

  • Beginning, Tenacre Gallery (TAG), Wellesley, MA

Selected Group Exhibitions

2025

  • 2025 National Prize Show, Juried by Sayantan Mukhopadhyay- Portland Museum of Art, Kathryn Schultz Gallery, Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge, MA

  • Seeing, Seeing …, MIT Museum Studio and Gallery Compton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA

  • Breakthrough, Juried by Hollis Taggart-New York art dealer and President, U.S. Courthouse, Seaport, Boston, MA

  • Prestige 2025 Exhibition of the Signature Members of the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA), Leonovich Gallery, New York, NY

  • SINCERELY, [Your Name Here], Juried by Dell Marie Hamilton, Kathryn Schultz Gallery, Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge, MA

  • Power Surge: Ignite the Future, Juried by Founder @visionaryartcollective, @newvisionarymag, Victoria J. Fry, Galatea Fine Arts, Boston, MA

  • Small Matters, Juried by Bromfield Gallery, Boston, MA

  • School of the Museum of Fine Arts Show, SMFA, Boston, MA

  • SoWa Artists Guild Show, Boston City Hall Galleries, Boston, MA

  • pARTners, Juried by Gallery 1581, The Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, Brookline, MA

  • The School Show, Concord Center for the Visual Art/Concord Art Association, Concord, MA

  •  2025 Mary Schein Fall Salon,University Place,Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge, MA

2024

  • Vision and Process: Art Inspired by Science, Juried by Mosesian Center for Arts, Watertown, MA

  • School of the Museum of Fine Arts Show, SMFA, Boston, MA

  • NAWA Signature Member Exhibition, National Art Club, Grand Gallery, New York, NY

  • Fresh, Juried by Gallery Twist, Lexington, MA

  • Art with Intention, Juried by Gallery Sitka South, Newport, RI

  • Time, NAWA-MA juried exhibition, United States Federal Courthouse, Seaport District, Boston, MA

  • Concord Art Association Member Show, Concord Center for the Visual Arts, Concord, MA

  • Prestige 2024 Exhibition of the Signature Members of National Association of Women Artists (NAWA), One Art Space, New York, NY

  • Experimental Group Show, Juried by Charles Fine Art Gallery Director, Charles Fine Art, Gloucester, MA

  • Rockport Art Association and Museum Member Group Show, RAA&M Gallery, Rockport, MA

2023

  • Vibrant Color of Spring 2023, Charles Fine Art Gallery, Gloucester, MA

  • Unexpected 21, Juried by RAA&M EG Group, RAA&M Gallery, Rockport, MA

  • Concord Art Association Member Show, Juried by Kelley Lehr, Concord Center for the Visual Arts, Concord, MA

2022

  • Winter Exhibition, Juried by Bromfield Gallery, Bromfield Gallery, SOWA, Boston, MA

  • Emerging Artists Exhibition, Juried by Theo Coulombe, Cambridge Art Association (CAA), The Speedway Gallery, Boston, MA

  • Forms of Resistance, Juried by Danielle Abrams, Cambridge College Gallery/CAA

  • Unexpected 19, Juried by RAA&M EG Group, RAA&M Gallery, Rockport, MA

  • Unexpected 16, Juried by RAA&M EG Group, Gane Deering Gallery, Gloucester, MA

  • Jack’s Flower, RAA&M EG Group Show, RAA&M Gallery, Rockport, MA

  • RAA&M Member Group Show, RAA&M Gallery, Rockport, MA

  • Group Art Show, Concord Art Association Gallery, Concord, MA

2021

  • Unexpected 15, EG Group Show, RAA&M Gallery, Rockport, MA

  • Small Works Show, Juried by CAA, The Speedway Gallery, Boston, MA

  • Print and Paper Show, Juried by CAA, The Speedway Gallery, Boston, MA

2019

  • Art Sale Show, MFA/Tufts School of Art Gallery, Boston, MA

2018

  • MFA Staff Group Show, Fenway Community Center Gallery, Boston, MA

Selected Performance Work – Solo Dance

  • The Spirit of Plume – Classical Chinese Dance
    The Foundry, Cambridge, MA — August 2025

  • The Soul of Sword – Classical Chinese Dance
    The Foundry, Cambridge, MA — September 2024

  • Snow Field – Tibetan Dance
    Malden Senior Center, Malden, MA — May 2023

Awards & Honors

2026 The Denis Diderot Grant, Château d’Orquevaux, Orquevaux, France

2025 Recipient Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant for Creative Individuals

2022 Emerging Artist, Juried Competition, Annual Emerging Artist Exhibit, Cambridge Art Association

Artist Residencies

2026 Château d’Orquevaux Art Residency, Orquevaux, France

2026 Manship Artist Residency, Gloucester, MA, USA

2022 Invited Visiting Artist, Tenacre Country Day School, Wellesley, MA, USA

Affiliations

  • Gallery Kayafas

  • Charles Fine Art

  • Gallery Twist

  • Gallery Sitka South

  • National Association of Women Artists (NAWA), Signature Member

  • Cambridge Art Association (CAA)

  • Rockport Art Association & Museum (RAA&M)

  • Concord Art Association

Professional Experience

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2012–2022)

  • Docent Guide for regular gallery tours

  • Led special tours for Art in Bloom events

  • Volunteered at the information desk, assisting visitors with gallery, artist, and artwork inquiries

Tenacre Country Day School, Wellesley (2022)

  • Visiting Artist: Gave a lecture and led an art class

Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge (2019–Present)

  • Exhibitions Committee member, Gallery sitting, volunteer work

Cambridge Art Market, Harvard Smith Center, Harvard Square (2022, 2025)

  • Engaged in community art activities and exhibited work for patrons

Education

  • Postdoctoral Research, Chemical Engineering Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

  • Ph.D, Chemical Engineering , Oak Ridge National Laboratory - University of Tennessee

Focus on bioengineering research in renewable energy and biopharmaceutical industry.