Artist Dian Brennan has just escaped an abusive, grim marriage. Just as Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, and Prague are all reinventing themselves after times of great turmoil, Dian's life shifts dramatically as she emerges from darkness and enters into a happy second marriage that takes her overseas. Her life as a mother, wife, and "expat" is interpreted through her paintings, which also reflect her love for new places, new people, and new cultures—but ultimately foretell far more than she imagines. Shanghai Ink is an epic work that spans three world cities while exploring themes of reinvention, relationships, identity, passion and independence. In this imaginative and unflinching exploration of the human spirit, Dian discovers who she really is with the cathartic help of art.