Yangzi Xu

Autumn Glow at Art Institute of Chicago, Oil Painting

2024

Artist Comments
Pedestrians stroll through the streets of downtown Chicago, passing the iconic lion statues at the Art Institute of Chicago. Autumn hues fill the scene as tall buildings rise in the background. The composition captures the city's lively and welcoming atmosphere.

About the Artist
Artist Yangzi Xu captures the beauty of seasonal changes in her expressionist cityscapes. Having spent most of her life in Chicago, she began viewing the city in a new light after finding inspiration from her previous watercolor teacher. Using fluid and rough strokes, along with a limited color palette, Yangzi creates dramatic and evocative scenes. "I try to capture the paradox of life in the city, where one can be in a crowd yet feel alone," Yangzi says. Her creative process involves managing a queue of ideas and reference photos, sketching with pencils to plan compositions and value designs, and working on multiple pieces simultaneously. In her well-organized spare bedroom studio, Yangzi listens to music as she paints, finding it a pleasant distraction that allows her to focus on the creative process without fixating on the result. In her free time, Yangzi enjoys reading, with biographies and memoirs currently being her favorite genres.

Words that describe this painting: Chicago, city, Art Institute of Chicago, urban, museum, autumn, fall, season, crowd, building, facade, sidewalk, pedestrian, street light, street, shadow, architecture, impressionism, travel, oil painting, beige

Autumn Glow at Art Institute of Chicago
Yangzi Xu
Oil painting on stretched canvas
Finished white edges
Ready to hang
One-of-a-kind
Signed on front
2024
16 in. h x 16 in. w x .87 in. d
1 lbs. 8 oz.