Artist Expressions is a series featuring in-depth interviews with creative artists in LFHS. Artist Expressions highlights the endeavors and works made by students and hopes to highlight their work and future plans.

Valarie Jiao is a senior who is currently in AP Art. Jiao uses her culture and experiences as inspiration for her sustained investigation.

What is exciting to you about art right now?

“For me, taking AP Art is probably most exciting. Not only does the course help me widen my perspective of different forms of art, but it also teaches me to expand my creativity, and to not create as much ‘by the book’ art.”

What has been your favorite project that you’ve done?

“My favorite project I have done is one of my more recent ones; the first piece of my Sustained Investigation. This piece is composed of a portrait of a female as the focal point, with traditional Chinese styled mountains in the background and foreground. Along the side, I included a Chinese poem about unrequited love, giving the piece a bit of a story. Additionally, I made a stamp of my own traditional mandarin name, in a red accented color.”

What is your favorite medium to work with, and why?

“I love working with graphite. Since it is the medium that I started out with as a child, and the one that I have used the most, I have really honed my skill through this medium.”

Do you plan to continue art in the future?

“I hope to continue art in the future. As I go on to college, I wish to minor in art, and to always pursue it as a hobby, even if it won’t be my main career.”

What has surprised you the most about your artistic journey?

“Throughout most of my artistic career, I’ve spent most of my time copying other artists. Then, later in high school, I forced myself out of my comfort zone and started to think more creatively, than simply drawing what was in front of me.”

What/Who is your biggest inspiration?

“My biggest inspiration is probably my childhood art teacher, Feng Xie. She was my childhood art teacher, and taught me everything that I know about art (composition, values, scaling, proportions, color theory, etc.). Her methods of teaching were very traditional, and she was strict, but I was always inspired by her work ethic as an artist.”

How did you get into art?

“I got into art through my own family; my dad was very passionate about art, and did drawings for me as a child. From there, I found inspiration in my daily consumption of media (the shows I watched, Youtube, Instagram).”