Sharing Their Emotions Through Art

The best artists have the ability to authentically express their feelings and interests through their work. Students in our AP Art class do an exceptional job of that, which was obvious to everyone admiring their creations at the recent AP Art Show in The Edward J. Duffy Family Art Gallery on campus. During the reception that evening, the artists were available to present and discuss their work, and food and refreshments were provided.

According to the course description, AP Art is “for the serious art student whose prior work exhibits advanced technical experience and conceptual thought processes.” The students spend the entire academic year focusing on a theme that “is expressed using various color, design, and compositional techniques.”

Our talented Saints in the class—Han “Alisa” Cui ’24, Andrew Martin ’23, Xinyi “Lisa” Weng ’23, Mengze “Mike” Wu ’23, and Fiona Yao ’23—found diverse and highly creative ways to communicate their themes artistically. They each chose a topic that was either deeply personal or had a strong influence in their life.

In her 15 pieces, Alisa explored a subject vitally important to her—animal cruelty. “These issues are heartbreaking, so I wanted to raise awareness and try to improve the lives of animals through my artwork,” she said. “I illustrated examples of animal cruelty intertwined with normal human activity…advocating for animal rights by depicting the relationships between lives.”

Contemplating a theme for her art, Lisa thought of her time growing up in China. “When I think about home, I imagine my blood running deep across that old Shanghainese alley that carried many of my childhood years,” she said. But the experience left Lisa with a mix of emotions. “By using warm and vibrant colors, I want to express the intensity of my pride and belonging,” she shared. “By applying monotones and shadow, I aim to reveal the inner fear and guilt of those flaws within my culture. At the end of this art journey, I hope to look inside and face that most tender self.”

Meanwhile, Andrew turned to a fictional world to express his art using the theme: “Eldritch Horror Reimagined in Modern Times.” It is no small accomplishment to interpret the ancient lore of a strategy game based on the writings of H. P. Lovecraft and put a contemporary spin on it. But Andrew pulled it off beautifully.

As did all of these artists extraordinaire. Great work, Saints!

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