Hsiao-Pei Yang

Ithaca, NY

A sense of beauty is the deepest perception we can recall from our heart and the ultimate source of peace and pleasure in our own existence. Things that could bring up the sense of beauty are the subjects of my oil paintings. It could be a view of a lily blossoming in pond, a wavy shoreline, a reflection of sunset in a lake, a smiling girl holding her pets, the curvature of mountains, the shadows under the woods, or the light on the flower petals. I look for such beauties that touch me and use painting as a way to capture the moment of light, inspiration and emotion.

Painting is the process of engaging myself to analyze and interpret my perceptions. My genuine contribution as an artist is to bring the image perceived through my eyes to an artistic presentation from my heart and feelings. This process brings me so much joy, peace and happiness that I cannot live without it.

My practice of art is also about sharing. I document and share my paintings with friends all over the world.  Through sharing, I am able to communicate sincerely and honestly with people around me and to build friendships based on mutual connections. Need not a word, need not a sound, friends can see and feel my deepest feelings through my art.  

I don’t believe in purposeful usefulness for art, instead I believe in the power of art to connect human hearts. If there is anything I want to make my art “useful”, it would be to remind people the beauty in nature around us and to arouse the concerns of its rapid loss on our planet. In the past two years, I was able to put this goal into practice. I paint outdoors regularly all year round, indulging myself in nature, and bringing back the beauty of nature, as I perceive it, to share with friends. I’ve also donated my paintings to support fundraising for land conservation.