Renowned sculptor and artist Dr. Ellen Qiongzhao Schicktanz recently appeared on Sisi Hollywood for an in-depth conversation exploring the emotional depth and spiritual resonance behind her body of work. The interview highlights not only her decades-long career in sculpture, painting, and cultural storytelling but also her evolving role as a global advocate for heritage and creativity.
Pic Description: Dr. Ellen Qiongzhao Schicktanz and Sisi Cao standing beside the artist’s monumental bronze relief, Washington Crossing the Delaware, at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.
Standing before her monumental bronze high-relief sculpture, Washington Crossing the Delaware, a 3-meter-tall work installed at the Museum of the American Revolution, Dr. Schicktanz reflected on the emotional power of historic art. The piece captures 40 figures from the founding of the United States with striking realism and reverence.
“I don’t just sculpt an important event and story in American history,” Schicktanz said. “I hope that people who see it will feel and inherit the noble souls and immortal spirits of these founding fathers and historical pioneers through my works.”
Pic Description:Historic Bronze Relief Series – Signature works by Dr. Ellen Qiongzhao Schicktanz, permanently exhibited near Independence Hall at major U.S. national institutions. These large-scale reliefs honor pivotal moments in America’s founding history.
A native of China, educated in Japan, and now based in the United States, Dr. Schicktanz has become an international voice for cross-cultural artistic expression. Her career spans multiple disciplines, sculpture, oil painting, and scholarly work, and her pieces are housed in institutions such as the United Nations, the Venice Biennale, and Japan’s Fuji Museum. She was honored with the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor and commissioned for public sculptures including The Signers of the Declaration of Independence and The Federal Constitution Framers, both permanently exhibited near Independence Hall.
The Sisi Hollywood interview, hosted by cultural journalist Sisi Cao, centered not on accolades but on essence, how art captures memory, spirit, and emotion. The two discussed the silent yet powerful presence of beauty in visual form and the enduring role of art as a keeper of collective memory.
Pic Description:Dr. Schicktanz receiving the Maurice R. Greenberg Global Leadership Award, honoring her lifelong contributions to public art and cultural diplomacy.
“Real beauty doesn’t ask to be seen,” said Cao. “It asks to be felt.”
Dr. Schicktanz’s creative journey continues with new projects that reflect her ongoing commitment to honoring cultural figures and narratives. She recently designed the Golden Bull Award for the inaugural New York First International AI Film Festival, combining classical sculptural aesthetics with modern digital innovation. She and Sisi Cao will both participate in the festival as contributing voices in its celebration of global artistic collaboration.
Pic Description: Ellen Qiongzhao created and completed two large-scale oil paintings in 2017 and 2018. They are titled “America, Where Are You Going?” and “American Thanksgiving History Reappears”.
Although she has stepped away from labor-intensive monumental commissions, Dr. Schicktanz remains active in the studio. Her current work includes a commemorative sculpture honoring Nobel laureate Pearl S. Buck, celebrating women of literary and global influence, and a forthcoming exhibition dedicated to Lin Huiyin, China’s pioneering female architect and poet.
These recent projects underscore her belief in the power of storytelling through art: an ethos she continues to live through every brushstroke, chisel mark, and public dialogue.
The full interview will premiere later this month on Sisi Hollywood, a platform dedicated to capturing the soul behind success and preserving narratives that resonate across generations.
“Art is how we remember what history tries to forget,” Dr. Schicktanz concluded. “It’s how we give the invisible a face.”
Pic Description: The Golden Bull Award designed by Dr. Schicktanz for the New York First International AI Film Festival.
About the company:
Sisi Hollywood began as a TV lifestyle segment and has since evolved into a cross-cultural media brand rooted in storytelling, legacy, and East–West dialogue. Blending soulful lifestyle expression with deep cultural insight, the platform showcases interviews with artists, innovators, and spiritual thinkers. With Emmy-level production and a mission to inspire through meaningful conversations, Sisi Hollywood is now expanding into 150+ syndicated U.S. channels and doing global collaborations with cultural festivals and international institutions.
For updates, follow Sisi Hollywood on:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sisihollywood-show
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sisihollywoodshow
Media ContactCompany Name: Sisi HollywoodContact Person: Media RelationsEmail: Send EmailCity: PhiladelphiaState: PACountry: United StatesWebsite: www.youtube.com/@sisihollywood-show
