Issue II Final Layout (1)

10 | ARTS the hourglass
Artist of the issue
LIGHTHOUSE WU ‘24
An insight to the creative process behind her infamous and breathtaking paintings
OLIVIA STEPHAN ‘24
Staff Writer
Design by Emily Zhang‘23 and Mindy Zhang ‘25
Photography by Sophia Ran ‘23
I’d rather paint something ugly and
unlikeable that means something than
paint something beautiful and pleasant
that means nothing,” Lighthouse
Wu ’24 said. To Wu, an avid drawer and
painter, art is about giving an idea visual
representation, and not assigning meaning
to a painting.
Wu has been passionate about the arts
from a young age, encouraged by her parents
to pursue her interests through exploring
and experimenting. In her freshman
year, Wu participated in both performing
and visual arts. She then decided to focus
on developing her drawing and painting
skills and is currently doing an independent
study that allows her to have free rein
to explore new ideas.
When asked whose perspective she
considers when painting, Wu responded, “I
have phases when I paint solely for myself,
and phases when I paint for the potential
audiences’ viewing pleasure. Currently,
I try to strike a balance between the two,
conveying messages that are meaningful to
me and to the viewers.” Over the past year,
Wu has not followed a specific theme but
rather has painted wherever her imagination
takes her.
Wu’s painting “Sausage” is inspired
by one of her favorite pieces of music, a
Tchaikovsky violin concerto. Inspired by
the life-like music, she worked to convey
the perfect blend of the violin solo with
the orchestra through painting, creating a
“transcendental experience … to the viewer.”
Through techniques such as shading,
she highlights certain aspects of the orchestral
work to show their significance to
the painting’s audience.
Wu has painted a variety of other
works, including a gazebo during a sunny
day and a view through a window. They
are filled with vibrant colors, and the people
are painted in a more abstract manner,
outlined by contrasting blocks of color.
One of her largest pieces is a painting
of a Buddhist temple that was displayed at
last year’s art fair. Inspired by a temple she
visited when she was younger (and subsequent
dreams about it), the painting depicts
a large Buddhist statue as the centerpiece,
dwarfing the onlookers who stand at its
base.
The entire scene is bathed in an orange
light, with colorful lanterns hanging
from the intricately decorated pillars surrounding
the temple’s courtyard and tables
of offerings set at the Buddha’s base.
“
Art is about giving
an idea visual
representation, and
not assigning meaning
to a painting
“
Even after presenting it at the art fair,
Wu believed this painting was still incomplete
and spent her summer continuing to
add details. In general, when viewing her
art, Wu takes a more critical perspective,
finding she is not always satisfied with the
finished product and often sees aspects
which can be improved.
When talking about the role art plays
in her life, Wu says, “It is not accurate to
describe art as an escape for me. Because
each formal art piece requires so much
time and energy to plan, so many ideas to
execute on canvas, and with deadlines for
competitions and art shows, art is more often
as draining as school work.”
However, she still describes her art as
a way to express her emotions and thoughts.
Drawing from experiences, memories, and
dreams makes Wu’s paintings very personally
meaningful.
As many of her previous works had
more private and personal meaning, going
forward, Wu is looking to “make [her]
work have real life connections,” where
the messages being “conveyed [are] relevant
to everyone.”