Solo Exhibitions
2022 Seeking Balance, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2022 Solo Art Exhibition, Light Space & Time Gallery, https://www.lightspacetime.art/calvin-lai-solo-art-exhibition/
2021 Intimate Limbo, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2015 Divergent Tendencies, 625 Sutter Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2014 Art Murmur, Awaken Cafe, Oakland, CA
2012 The Pour House, San Francisco, CA
Group Exhibitions
2025 Abstracted Figures, Studio 5 Contemporary, San Rafael, CA
2025 Benefit for Art, Sausalito Art Center, Sausalito, CA
2025 Go Figurative, San Francisco Women's Artist Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2025 Marin County Community Foundation Art Showcase, Marin, CA
2025 Here & Now, Sausalito Center for the Arts, Sausalito, CA
2024 34th Annual Holiday, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2024 Contemporary Figuration, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2023 33 Annual Holiday Miniatures, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2023 Animalia, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2023 Captured Moments, Mastrius, Online exhibit
2023 5x5, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2022 Liberating the Flesh, 33 Contemporary, Chicago, IL
2022 Grand Opening Cherry Creek Space (5 x 5 Project XI), Denver, CO
2022 The Portrait Show X, Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2022 100 Trees, Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2022 Local Legends, Mirus Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2022 Mujer, PoetsArtists and 33 Contemporary, https://www.poetsandartists.com/shop/mujer
2021 31st Annual Holiday Miniatures Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2021 Animalia III, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2021 The Portrait Show IX, Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2021 Delicious, Studio Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2021 8x8s at the LA Art Show, Abend Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2021 International Biennial Portrait Competition, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI
2021 Contemporary Figuration, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2020 El regreso de Discolandia, 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2020 30th Annual Mini Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2020 Tiny Show, Studio Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2020 The Art of the Nude, 33 Contemporary, Online exhibit
2020 Body Study, Artsolation, Online exhibit
2020 Urban/Rural, Studio Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2019 Resolution, Palette Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2019 Progression, Palette Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2018 Small Works Holiday Show, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2018 Cityscapes 2018, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2018 People and Places, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2018 Streets of San Francisco, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2018 Spring Showcase, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2018 Urban Landscapes, Christian Daniels Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2017 Cats Vs. Dogs, The Vendue, Charleston SC
2017 Art Auction, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento CA
2017 Urbana Contra Naturaleza, Wonderland SF, San Francisco, CA
2017 In Dreams, Spoke NYC, New York, NY
2017 Lover's Eye, Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2016 The Best of America, National Oil & Painters' Acrylic Society, Addison Art Gallery, Orleans, MA
2016 Fall Gallery Night, Art Room, exhibited at Brik, Fort Worth, TX
2016 Anniversary Show, Wonderland SF, San Francisco, CA
2016 Portraits of Friends, Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2016 Art Auction, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA
2015 Wes Anderson Art Show, Spoke Art, exhibited at Joseph Gross Gallery, New York, NY
2015 Never, Never, Ever Land, Wonderland SF, San Francisco, CA
2015 Portraits of Strangers, Someones, and Nobodies, 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2013 Wanderlust, Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2013 Chillin' Productions Annual Holiday Show, 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2013 The Seven Deadly Sins, Wonderland SF, San Francisco, CA
2013 SmithKlein Gallery, Boulder, CO
2013 ODC Theater, San Francisco, CA
2012 Notorious, Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 Art Matters Encore! San Marino League, San Marino, CA
2011 Character, Million Fishes Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2011 Academy of Art Spring Show, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
2010 Faces and Figures, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
Education
2008 – 12 MA, Academy of Art, San Francisco, CA
1991 – 97 BA, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
Publications
2022 Check out Calvin Lai's Story, November 2022, VoyageLA, link
2021 An Interview with Calvin Lai, September 2021, The Flying Fruit Bowl, link
2021 Local Stories, September 2021, Shoutout LA, link
2021 Feature, May 2021, The Curator's Salon Magazine
2021 Raves & Resistance: Counterculture Stories, The London Reader
2020 Issue 37, September 2020, The Guide Artists Magazine
2019 Artists Magazine Annual Art Competition, Artists Magazine
2016 Artists Magazine Annual Art Competition, Southwest Art
2016 Vogue's Gallery, British Vogue March Edition
2013 Back cover, Harmonica Happenings
2013 Artists Magazine Annual Art Competition, Southwest Art
Awards
2022 Solo show Competition, Light Space & Time Gallery, https://www.lightspacetime.art/calvin-lai-solo-art-exhibition/
2021 First Place. Bold Brush Painting Competition January 2021. FASO Fine Art Studio Online
2020 Top 25 Finalists. 2020 Artist & Selfie Painting Competition. Fine Art Connoisseur
2018 Third Place. Bold Brush Painting Competition November 2018. FASO Fine Art Studio Online
2018 Honorabel Mention. Artists Magazine's Annual Art Competition. Artists Magazine
2018 Honorable Mention - Painting Category. Cityscapes Art Exhibition. Light, Space and Time Online Art Gallery
2017 First Place/ The Bold Brush Award. Bold Brush Painting Competition December 2017. FASO Fine Art Studio Online
2017 Finalist. Bold Brush Painting Competition October 2017. FASO Fine Art Studio Online
2017 Fellowship. Clark Hulings Fund Busniess Accelerator Program. Clark Hulings Fund
2016 Finalist. 12th International ARC Salon. Art Renewal Center, Port Reading, NJ
2016 Merit Award. Best of America. National Oil & Acrylic Painter's Society, Bella Vista, AR
2016 Finalist. Artists Magazine's Annual Art Competition. Artists Magazine, Ash, OH
2015 Finalist. Artists Magazine's Annual Art Competition. Artists Magazine, Ash, OH
2015 3rd place Painting Category. Figurative 2015 Art Exhibition. Light, Space and Time Online Art Gallery
2015 6th place Overall Category. Figurative 2015 Art Exhibition. Light, Space and Time Online Art Gallery
2015 Finalist. Bold Brush Painting Competition. FASO Fine Art Studio Online
2012 Finalist. Artists Magazine's Annual Art Competition. Artists Magazine, Ash, OH
Professional Experience
2016 Bold Brush Painting Competition. Guest judge for April 2016. Sponsored by FASO
Portrait artist for Wavy Gravy
2011 - Present Commissioned portrait artist