“Being able to feel different cultures reflected in my art, I used Western techniques to achieve the Eastern goal of ‘using the eyes to capture the spirit and inner qualities.’”
Brushes Across Borders: An Artist Shaped by Cultures
From the bustling streets of Shanghai to the creative pulse of New York City, Jessie Xu’s journey as an artist has been defined by the cultural duality she navigates so fluently. Having been raised in China and later studying at the School of Visual Arts in New York, she developed a distinctive artistic voice shaped by both Eastern sensitivity and Western technique. Her work thrives at the intersection of these traditions, with portraiture serving as her chosen mode of expression. Portraits, whether of people or animals, allow her to explore and articulate emotional truths through a deep connection to her subjects, often communicated most powerfully through the eyes.
The eyes have become something of a trademark in Jessie’s portraits—a direct result of her cultural background and artistic heritage. In East Asian visual storytelling, eye expressions are pivotal, seen as silent but potent conveyors of sentiment, respect, and inner life. This influence is evident in Jessie’s ability to render eyes with compelling clarity and emotion. At the same time, her training in Western oil painting introduced her to the technical richness of contrast—between value, color, and edge—that characterizes the classical traditions of artists like Rembrandt and Sargent. This marriage of East and West enables her to use Western methods to fulfill an Eastern ideal: capturing not just the physical form, but the intangible essence of her subject.
Jessie’s dedication to portraiture grew during her academic years, especially under the mentorship of Professor Marvin Mattelson. His insistence on precision and discipline in classical oil painting provided Jessie with a solid technical foundation. But more than that, he opened the door to a genre that aligned perfectly with her strengths: patience, focus, and a keen eye for nuance. Jessie realized that the satisfaction she found in refining a single piece over time, combined with her intuitive understanding of human emotion, made portraiture an ideal form. This self-awareness, coupled with her diverse training, has allowed her to approach art with both deliberate technique and profound empathy.
Jessie Xu: Painting the Soul in Every Stroke
The hallmarks of Jessie Xu’s artistic style lie in her pursuit of realism and the quiet intensity she brings to her oil portraits. Her subjects are depicted with a natural vitality that transcends mere likeness. Whether capturing the familiar features of a pet or the nuanced personality of a human face, Jessie’s portraits feel both timeless and immediate. She aims to present individuals not just as they are seen but as they are felt—alive in color, expression, and presence. It’s a form of portraiture that doesn’t shout but rather resonates, inviting the viewer to pause and connect.
Behind each painting is a studio environment carefully constructed to support Jessie’s intense focus. Lighting plays a critical role; only under optimal illumination can she accurately assess the interplay of hues and tones required for lifelike skin, fur, or fabric. However, the start of each painting session is often delayed by a reluctance to face the messier side of preparation: squeezing paint, mixing palettes, and setting up. Still, once she begins, the world fades. She finds herself lost in the rhythm of brushstrokes, and deadlines serve less as pressure points and more as productive guideposts. Jessie works best with self-imposed goals, using them to maintain momentum without sacrificing the meditative joy of the process.
Jessie’s reverence for the Old Masters remains a significant influence. She frequently returns to the works of Bouguereau, Rembrandt, and Sargent—not only for their technical brilliance but for the emotional depth embedded in their strokes. To her, their paintings are endless sources of learning, always offering new insights with each viewing. These artists didn’t just master technique; they understood the human condition. Jessie strives to follow in their footsteps, not through imitation but by channeling the same depth of observation and commitment to craft. She considers their legacy not as a shadow to stand beneath but as a path to walk with intention and originality.
Imagination in Every Fiber
While Jessie’s love for oil painting remains central to her practice, her artistic journey didn’t begin with oils. She explored a wide range of media in her youth, including pastels, watercolors, acrylics, and even digital tools. Each one offered lessons in texture, technique, and expression. But it wasn’t until she encountered oil painting—first through online videos and later through hands-on experimentation—that she felt a deep, almost predestined connection. Despite being one of the last mediums she approached, oil painting quickly became the one that felt most intuitive. The blendability, depth, and potential for subtlety resonated with her, enabling a level of control and complexity that other media couldn’t match.
Jessie believes that her experience across various mediums played a crucial role in her ability to adapt quickly to oils. Understanding the strengths and limitations of each tool allowed her to make informed choices and translate lessons learned in one format to another. Digital illustration, for example, sharpened her compositional thinking, while watercolors taught her restraint and the power of suggestion. These skills, when transferred to oil painting, gave her the flexibility to experiment and grow without being confined to a single technique or aesthetic. It’s a layered foundation that has given her the freedom to evolve while staying grounded in the fundamentals.
Beyond traditional portraiture, Jessie’s creative mind buzzes with unconventional ideas waiting to be realized. She’s especially excited about the possibility of combining felted wool with oil painting to create hybrid artworks that push dimensional boundaries. One concept involves an octopus depicted underwater, with oil-painted elements above the canvas surface and felted tentacles protruding into three-dimensional space. Such ideas reflect Jessie’s playful yet thoughtful approach to visual storytelling. Her creative notes overflow with surreal scenarios—sunflower-deprived snowmen, mythological nail art, and spa-bound egg tarts—each hinting at an imagination unrestrained by convention. Though rooted in classical portraiture, Jessie’s practice remains open to transformation, guided by curiosity and wonder.
Jessie Xu: A Portrait of Legacy and Emotion
One of the most meaningful pieces in Jessie Xu’s portfolio is a portrait that exists not just as a painting, but as a bridge between past and present. Commissioned by a homeowner who had recently purchased a 19th-century house named after a notable historical figure, Jessie was tasked with bringing this long-gone personality to life. The only reference available was a grainy, black-and-white obituary photo from the 1920s—an image devoid of detail and clarity. Drawing from this meager visual material, as well as a historical article that provided insight into the man’s life, Jessie crafted a portrait that blended fact, interpretation, and emotional intuition.
This project tested her ability to go beyond replication. Without a reliable likeness to work from, she had to rely on her understanding of human anatomy, cultural context, and artistic instinct. The result was a portrait that didn’t merely mimic a face but captured an aura—the imagined presence of someone long departed. The final piece now hangs proudly in the historic home, with the new owner declaring it an heirloom meant to stay with the house through generations. For Jessie, the project was a deeply gratifying experience: a rare chance to fuse history with creativity, honoring a figure whose story had nearly faded into obscurity.
Jessie doesn’t take the emotional weight of her work lightly. Whether she’s painting a beloved family member, a cherished pet, or a historical tribute, she sees each subject as more than a commission—they are lives, stories, and relationships immortalized in oil. This philosophy fuels her desire to paint those close to her in her personal time. She dreams of capturing her friends and family not just as artistic studies, but as tokens of memory and affection. In a world that often moves too quickly, Jessie’s portraits invite us to pause, look closely, and remember. Each canvas becomes a space for presence, reflection, and connection, painted not only with skill but with heart.
