Cindy Liu

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Cindy Liu

 

 

While people use various means to seek unseen beauty hidden within us and our surroundings, I find myself through art. Art allows me to discover and express my ideas and feelings and experience my surroundings in different ways. My pencil and paintbrush act as conduits for whatever I feel like expressing in that moment. Through photography, I step back and look at the world through a different lens – my camera lens – capturing moments where I find beauty, often in unexpected scenes.

 

I have been drawing since I was a toddler. Over the years I have experimented with a variety of mediums and styles, from graphite still-life drawings to abstract pastel compositions, but my predominant mediums have been graphite, oil painting/acrylic, and charcoal. With drawing and painting, I have fallen in love with the hyperrealism style, with its ability to recreate scenes in such vivid detail that the art often looks more realistic than a photo. Through attempting hyperrealistic portraits, I have become more observant and appreciative of the small details surrounding us, from tiny droplets of glistening morning dew to the rough stitches on a mended jacket. These details often contain beauty that we rarely notice in our busy lives.

 

I also love photography. Ever since my parents bought me a pocket-sized pink compact digital camera in middle school, mainly to use on vacations, I have never stopped taking photos. After joining my high school’s yearbook program, I have learned how to use higher quality DSLR cameras for photojournalism, such as in environmental portraits or sports photography. I have also attended a few photography workshops to learn photo-taking techniques, particularly for portraits and nightscapes. Like with drawing and painting, my photos cover a variety of styles that I have explored, but I have a passion for minimalist photos containing simple yet vivid colors, shapes, and lines. Through the minimalist style, I am able to take our often complex world and capture it in its simplest, most beautiful essence.

 

I continue to explore art through new mediums, styles, and perspectives. For instance, I am currently taking AP Art History, where I have found new ways to discover art through learning about their context and importance. Art is more than a hobby to me; it is a way of seeing the world, understanding myself, and reaching out to others through my work.