Cher Xu

My recent body of works features artists in my community. I focus on bringing their physical likeness, personal spaces, and collected objects to life. The paintings are filled with tools, everyday objects, and references to other artists' works. In some areas, I delineate forms with lines alone, choosing not to fill them in with color. This choice is my way of asking the viewer to see with the brain as much as with the eyes, engaging perception as both a visual and cognitive act.

I begin each painting on a warmly toned ground, which helps mediate and balance the colors used throughout the composition. By flattening the pictorial space, I give equal emphasis to each element in the painting. The equal weight given to every detail invites slow looking—taking time to notice what books someone is reading, how fabric folds on a body, or the way a hand holds a brush.

The people and objects in each space radiate together, holding and expressing their unique interconnectedness.


https://cherxu.cargo.site

What themes or emotions are you exploring in your current work?

I want my work to feel playful while remaining in dialogue with the history of painting. I'm interested in flattening the image, and I intentionally leave traces of my initial sketches visible on the canvas. There’s a certain honesty in showing the process that feels essential to me.


What does your creative process look like?

My process often begins with a moment of visual curiosity—when a person or a space catches my eye. I take photographs to document that initial spark and then begin a kind of subtractive process in the studio. Through painting, I distill the image down to its essence, focusing on what initially drew me in.


What inspires you outside of the visual arts?

Meeting people or animals and getting to know their personalities and quirks.


How do you balance personal expression with the business side of your career?

I don’t see it as an either/or situation, but I’m still at the beginning of my career, and I’m learning as I go. Right now, I'm focused on staying true to my vision while gaining a better understanding of the professional side of the art world.


What do you hope viewers feel or take away from your work?

I hope my work encourages slow looking. In a time when images overstimulate our eyes and minds, I want to create a space where people can pause, linger, and see.