Youyou Wang

My portfolio explores my inner struggles with isolation and cultural pressure, and how those feelings have been exacerbated during the pandemic. I use oil paint and experiment with dramatic colors to generate a distinct mood.

Growing up in a traditional Chinese family, I’ve been taught that “Xiao”, respect for elders, is the key virtue for a young woman. I feel like my future has been planned out and no one is interested in my feelings. Painting is my outlet for self-expression. The only other source of solace I’ve found is my boyfriend. He shares similar cultural pressures. During the pandemic, we haven't seen each other, which has added to my emotional struggle.

In 1-2 I’m expressing the confusion and isolation I feel in my family in a materialistic culture. 3-5 explore how much I’ve missed my boyfriend. In 6-10 I’m showing how my boyfriend and I are both experiencing the same pain living a thousand miles apart. The bathroom, as an intimate space where people are free to express their emotions, is the main setting of these pieces. At the end of my portfolio (11-15) I am starting to break through the pressure and feel hopeful about my future, even though it is abstract.