Yangzi Xu

Magnificent Mile, Oil Painting

2022

Artist Comments
Artist Yangzi Xu portrays Michigan Avenue in Chicago at dusk with an impressionist approach. The dark sky sets the perfect scenery for the city lights to shine brightly. In the distance, the silhouette of the bridge houses blends subtly yet recognizably. The lights from the buildings illuminate the street and highlight the city's bustling energy. Yangzi fully captures the essence of downtown Chicago, bringing to life this iconic cityscape's unique beauty and charm.

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, downtown, city, urban, cityscape, evening, night, street light, street, road, vehicles, travel, building, facade, architecture, bus, pedestrians, impressionism, oilpaint, Wacker Drive, cars, reflection, Michigan Avenue, dusk, architecture, impressionism, travel, oil painting, yellow

Magnificent Mile
Yangzi Xu
Oil painting on canvas board
Ready to frame
One-of-a-kind
Signed on front
2022
11 in. h x 14 in. w x .12 in. d
0 lbs. 12 oz.