Lisa Baw was born with severe cerebral palsy in 1985 in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan. When she was 16 years old, Baw suffered severe liver poisoning and had to undergo an emergency liver transplant surgery. The operation was successful, but the brush with mortality changed Baw’s perspective on life. She realized that she needed to live her life to the fullest, and it was this realization that gave her the courage to pursue her dreams.
She has been painting since the age of five, but at seventeen she took up oil painting as a way of training her eye-hand coordination and discovered her life’s passion in the process. Later, she founded the Wish Dreamer Foundation which was designed to give back and help others like her realize their dream, and to help them strive toward the fulfillment of their potential. The foundation raised several thousand dollars through the sale of Baw’s artwork.
Baw has had several sole exhibitions in both Taiwan and New York. Her exhibits in Taiwan have graced the National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, National Taiwan university hospital gallery, National Taiwan Central Library, and National Taitung Living Art Center. Her art has also been exhibited in the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Culture Office in New York as well as ASA-The College for Excellence in New York. Her work was chosen by IBM to be included in the company’s yearly calendar and Thanksgiving cards. Her work is in the collection of many private foundations and collectors. Eurasian Press published a collection of her works entitled Chin Jung Baw’s Album Of Paintings in 2007, and the book won the honor of Taipei City Government 2009 the best children’s book prize.
In 2000, the Executive Yuan Republic of China awarded The Forth Disabled Golden Eagle Award for being a role model for overcoming disabilities and to grant an interviewed by the President. After winning the Excellent Novice Award in 2001 by the Motion Pictures Exhibition of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons at Washington D.C., San Francisco, and New York, Baw decided to become an artist. In 2015, she was honored by the Taipei City Government’s Department of Education as a notable alumnus of the city’s vocational educational system. In 2013, Baw received Top Ten Most Outstanding Young Women Award from the People’s Republic of China.
Baw also won several medals in swimming at the Special Olympics. She has been awarded Larry Bangser Memorial Swimming Award on June 8th, 2010, for “Outstanding Effort, Spirit and Achievement in the Sport of Swimming.” Besides swimming, Baw has been practicing ballet dance.
As a former fine arts student at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York, Baw has a persistent dream to one day teach art to kindergarten children with hopes that it will change their lives as it has changed hers.
Baw’s life’s story entitled Living In True Life was published by 2-Fishes in 2006.
Baw has been continuously studying painting at QCC Art and Design Department for six years.