ANGELA XU
Artist’s Statement
I hate my face. It is disgusting to me, and I do not understand how anyone could see it as beautiful. It is something I have struggled with for a while. However, as I have grown, I have also learned the significance of expressing my feelings with art. The feeling of exhibiting my experiences in a visual form is enticing to say the least – so I decided to do the same with my facial insecurities. I wanted to show how I felt about my eyes, nose, mouth, and more. I wanted to show how I felt, constantly picking at my skin and examining my features. After finishing the piece, I was startled. I had managed to use my skills to make something absolutely beautiful. I was in love with the colors, the lines, the expressive detail. I could not stop looking at it. However, I was also in shock – if I was so “ugly”, how did I manage to make such a gorgeous product of my insecurities? Needless to say, I am still confused. However, my viewpoint has changed: perhaps my face is not what I think it is. Perhaps it has some beauty and liveliness to it after all.
Previously published in Footprints on Jupiter and The Bitter Fruit Review
Angela Xu (@axu_arts on Instagram) is a 16 year old living in New Jersey. She has been making art her whole life, mainly focusing on traditional, self-portrait art that exhibits her life and identity through her own eyes. She has been recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the Congressional Art Competition, and various other regional and international art contests. When not in the art studio, she can be found playing tennis on her high school team, reading, listening to music, or watching her favorite TV shows.