Yangzi Xu

Lurie Garden, Early Summer, Oil Painting

2021

Artist Comments
One of artist Yangzi Xu's favorite spots in Chicago is the Laurie Garden. "It is truly an urban oasis," she says. In this view, she captures both nature and the city in early summer. "You can hardly believe there is this lovely and quiet place in the busy loop area of Chicago, where you can smell the flowers while observing the skyline from a unique angle."

About the Artist
Artist Yangzi Xu captures a nostalgia for Chicago and its dramatic seasonal changes in her expressionist cityscapes. Having a full-time job and being a wife and mother, Yangzi makes a habit of painting everyday to keep her passion exciting and fresh. She keeps a queue of ideas and reference photos that she takes throughout the year. She looks through her references, tweaks and adds elements to them. Once inspiration strikes, Yangzi draws several sketches and begins to work with oils on canvas on multiple pieces at once - to keep each painting spontaneous and new. "I try to capture the paradox of life in the city, where one can be in a crowd and yet feel alone," Yangzi says. "My main intent is not to capture the physical reality of a scene, but to express my own moods and feelings to my audience." In her free time, Yangzi enjoys reading, with her current favorite genres being biographies and memoirs. Yangzi is an alumnus of DePaul University in Chicago.

Words that describe this painting: Chicago, summer, Lurie Garden, downtown, garden, flowers, field, buildings, skyscrapers, sky, urban, landscape, greenery, architecture, Illinois, midwest, cityscape, architecture, impressionism, landscape, oil painting, green

Lurie Garden, Early Summer
Yangzi Xu
Oil painting on stretched canvas
Finished black edges
Ready to hang
One-of-a-kind
Signed on front
2021
14 in. h x 11 in. w x .87 in. d
0 lbs. 14 oz.