Yi Ellis is an abstract painter who fuses the spirituality of Chinese traditional paintings with the expressiveness of modern western art.  

Born in Shanghai, China, Yi began formal dance and piano trainings at age four, and has performed extensively including the White House and the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.  Since age thirteen, Yi has lived in Colorado, New York, Italy, Baltimore, Minnesota, and has traveled to over 25 countries.  While images and experiences from her nomadic life provide inspiration for her paintings, her dance and music background infuse liveliness and vigor in her work.  

Currently, Yi is working on combining modern dance and painting together that creates a visual record of emotion, movement and rhythm.  Yi exhibits locally and internationally, and has over 50 paintings in private collections across the United States, Asia and Italy.