Yangzi Xu

The Loop, Oil Painting

2022

Artist Comments
The bustling Loop district in Chicago comes alive with its iconic glow as streetlights and signs illuminate the buildings and streets. Pedestrians and vehicles weave through the lively urban environment, showing the area's energy. The rich colors and dynamic composition capture the essence of a typical evening in the heart of the city.

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, downtown, city, evening, night, street light, street, road, vehicles, building, facade, bus, pedestrians, Loop, cars, reflection, State Street, dusk, crowd, cityscape, architecture, impressionism, travel, oil painting, orange

The Loop
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.