Yangzi Xu

Still Playing in My Mind, Oil Painting

2019

Artist Comments
Evening on Randolph Street in Chicago, home to many of the city's theatres. "The lights are on, the musicals in the theatres are on," says Yangzi. "I painted the scene with a bit of a haunting feeling, as the musical may be still playing in your mind when you are in the cab on your way home." A palette of cool blues and luminous orange against the dark green and black night. "The painting itself is a song where high and low notes intertwine."

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, evening, night, lights, urban, city, architecture, architecture, impressionism, representational, oil painting, green

Still Playing in My Mind
Yangzi Xu
Oil painting on stretched canvas
Finished black edges
Ready to hang
One-of-a-kind
Signed on front
2019
20 in. h x 16 in. w x 1.5 in. d
2 lbs. 8 oz.