Check Out Angela Wei’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Wei.

Hi Angela, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was always surrounded by a lot of creativity growing up, my mother and maternal grandparents were practicing artists in China. So the arts were very central to my life from an early age; most of my weekends as a child were spent going to museums to sketch or taking art lessons from my mom at home.

I went on to study art history and visual arts in college, while taking internships within the arts ranging from a design gig at Vice to working in the curatorial department at The Met. When I graduated, I was able to apply my art history education in writing about contemporary art for Christie’s Magazine at the auction house, but I always knew my true passion lay in creating art myself. Last fall, I took a leap of faith by committing to my painting career full-time, and have been able to show my work at various galleries across the city. I’ll be attending an MFA program in New York this fall, which I hope will take my career to the next level.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think struggles are inherently part of any creative path. It’s always a risk to choose the option with less financial and structural uncertainty. Most of my friends from college have successfully continued with their corporate careers, so I think it was a mental hurdle for me to commit to what I love over that perceived security. Being an artist also means working for yourself, and it can be difficult at times to be disciplined about creating my own goals, deadlines, and timelines. As someone working independently in my studio, it can get pretty solitary as well, so I’ve been making a conscious effort to connect more with the creative community and schedule activities outside the studio after work.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in large-scale acrylic paintings that are very illustrative and fantastical. Using a combination of psychological theories and personal narratives, my work investigates repressed memories, the intersection of my cross-cultural identity and the complexities of self-actualization. The tension between real and imaginary is central to my work, where I often insert insidious messages into unexpected moments. In this way, cuteness in style acts as a defense mechanism against realities that would be harsher to digest had they been represented literally. My work also synthesizes Eastern and Western aesthetics, drawing from sources like Japanese Superflat but also Dutch masters like Bosch. This fusion mirrors my journey of navigating the liminal space between my Chinese heritage and Western upbringing.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
While I’m Gen Z, I’m grateful that I was still able to grow up without too many electronics or screens. I spent most of my early childhood just roaming the neighborhood and forests around my home in Ottawa. My friends and I would climb trees, make wood huts, and swim in nearby lakes. I think a lot of my work now is inspired by the natural world, with many illustrations of luscious foliage and beautiful flowers. Nature for me was both a refuge but also a source of fear, which I think is a dichotomy that is reflected in my paintings.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://angelawei.cargo.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theangelawei/?hl=en