Artist Statement: “My poetry and art attempt to unravel the meddling of current social crises, political diaspora and mental illness. I address the current global socio-political violence by portraying the complicated emotions and experiences of a young woman who has multiple layers of marginalized personal identities. Through my art, I aim to construct a moment of reflection and compassion by putting myself in a global context and connecting my own political diaspora to those of people from other cultures, genders, health conditions, etc. In the process, I am informed by the vast reservoir of art through the ages and across cultures that I study and love.”
Lucy Xiaochuan Liu is a junior at Smith College, majoring in Studio Art and French. She is the author of the award-winning poetry chapbook The Rye of Pondering, published by the University of Massachusetts Press, and the photo book Of the Grassland with No Boundaries which No Fire Can Burn Down. Her article “In the Days of Peony Flowers: A Contemporary Reflection on Chinese Kunqu Opera” was published in the Smithsonian Institution’s Folklife Magazine. Her artworks have been exhibited in Italy, Greece, and the US. She was featured in poetry readings at the Emily Dickinson Museum, Amherst College, Unnameable Books in Massachusetts, and SpokenWord in Paris. Her honors include the Smith College Museum of Art’s Tryon Prize and the Massachusetts Five College Poetry Festival Prize.
