Feature by Melissa Wang
Photos by Rommel Nunez
Angela Wei is a senior at Barnard College and an artist skilled in illustration and mixed media. Her work has appeared in a number of publications, including VICE’s Garage magazine.
Please introduce yourself!
My name is Angela Wei. I'm currently a senior at Barnard majoring in Art History with a concentration in Visual Arts. I'm an artist, I guess, and hopefully, I’ll be working in some type of creative space when I graduate.
Can you walk me through the acrylic series you submitted to Ratrock?
I've been painting my entire life and doing creative things just because my mom's an artist. She’s always been a creative inspiration and I grew up in a very supportive environment. So I've always liked to draw, but I think I began to take art more seriously in college. Especially in the past year with quarantine, I was able to stay home and figure out what kind of style I wanted to work on.
I started developing a series of large acrylic pieces that’s fantastical, imaginary, and colorful. All good vibes. A lot of the things I draw upon are children's books or fairy tales, but I like to give them a bit of a twist - whether it's something a little bit gruesome, something a little bit weird. And it’s been great practice for my thesis project, which is what I’ve been working on lately.
Can you talk about your thesis project?
It'll probably be like something similar to the acrylic series, except I don’t know what subject matter I want to focus on yet. I do want to experiment a bit more with materials - I still want to use acrylic but when I figure out how to use different types of textures, I want to create a glittery effect, or maybe add more volumes onto the canvas.
Each painting of my series tells a story. For instance, one of them is called ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ and that's very much based on the children's storybook. I wanted to capture that feeling of weirdness and mysticism like you’re walking in a forest but there are monsters in it.
Where the Wild Things Are
But just in general, I wanted the story of each piece to reveal itself. I added all these little details which you have to really look for to appreciate the painting. I like to put a spin on things, adding it’s a little devil giving you the evil eye or an elf in a corner, I just wanted to make something fun for the viewer.
And those weird details are so surreal, but also so innocent. How do you find a balance between those two things?
Well, child-like art is really big in the art world right now, with artists trying to emulate a childish style. I’m also not the best technical drawer, but I do think it’s fun to play with perspectives and human bodies. And honestly, if I’m focusing on a subject that’s serious, I want to leave room for fun in my piece. And vice versa.
I asked about the surrealism because it’s very different from your other works of art. You’ve work with all different mediums, from acrylics, to fashion photography, to illustrations; how did you become so versatile in different mediums?
Well, hmm. Because my mom is classically trained in China, which means she values realism and figure drawing techniques, she really pushed me to do a lot of observational drawing when I was younger. At the same time, I recognize that it’s important to incorporate your own imagination into your art - the job of the artist isn’t to just accurately represent something on paper.
Navigator
Growing up, I did a lot of pencil drawings, a lot of watercolors, and a lot of ink. I was really scared of paint though, because I used to think that if you mess up, you mess up - you can’t control that. So I stayed away from acrylics and oils, and I’ve only just started experimenting with it in college.
Was your mother a big influence on your art?
I would say so. She was classically trained, but she also studied graphic design and animation. And she’s been making art since forever, so I just thought it was normal to do something creative. I also still go to her for her opinion - I value that.
Do you have other artistic influences?
James Jean - I’m obsessed with him. He’s a Taiwanese American artist and I think our styles are pretty similar. I would literally die if I got to meet him. I once DMed him just saying, “Hey, do you need help on any of your projects?” and he never replied, but I shot my shot.
I also really like classical artists and old 19th-century paintings. And actually, I probably write my art history thesis on that. I love the impressionists, especially Degas and Monet, because I think that their use of color is so beautiful and so special. I also went to see the Kusama exhibition the other week and I just loved the geometric shapes and interactiveness in every piece.
1
What was your favorite Kusama piece at the exhibit?
I’d have to say the Infinity Room with the mirror panels around the room and the Christmas lights. It was the interactiveness that did it for me. I love immersive experiences in art, where the viewer feels like they’re a part of the story. I would love to incorporate that feeling into my own art.
Going back to your website - you included a number of pieces you helped with while interning at different companies. What was it like choosing and working at these internships?
I wanted to get into fashion for a really long time - and then I did these internships and realized I didn’t want to do fashion design. I got my internship at Garage Magazine, which unfortunately no longer exists, by reaching out to someone who worked there. I started working as a stylist intern for him, and I realized that you don’t really need to know how to design clothes per se in order to work in the fashion industry. Stylists, creative directors, bloggers, editors - none of them really need to know how to create the clothes themselves.
What was cool about working at Garage was that it was at the intersection of art and fashion. They had one cover with Billie Eilish where her face was split in half but it was still Billie, you know? And it was still about her, but also about the fashion. That made me recognize that fashion isn’t something that you can just wear, but it’s also an art form.
With my graphic design internships, one of the coolest things I did was be in charge of designing a couple of billboards for some Vice shows. I didn’t think I was capable of leading a project as big as that, but I did, and the boards just came up!
Bumper Cars
Speaking about careers, do you know where you want to be in the next five to ten years?
I know I don’t want to work for a corporation. I don’t see myself doing the nine to five, although obviously, that’s something I’m going to have to do right after I graduate. But long term? I just want to be a visual artist. I know that’s hard, but if I’m lucky enough and work hard enough, I want to do my own stuff. Make some commissions, collaborate with fashion brands, the whole thing.
What’s it been like studying Art History with a Visual Arts concentration at Barnard?
So I actually transferred to Barnard - or well, I transferred a million times. Before this, I was at Parsons, which granted me a very concentrated, art-focused experience. While I thought that that was great, I wanted a broader education for my undergrad. And I think having a liberal arts education definitely informs your art-making and makes you more of a critical thinker in general.
Ascension
I think my experience here at Barnard - it’s been very proactive. There are professors and students here who are very committed to their craft, but you have to be more proactive in making your own art or submitting to competitions or applying to internships. It’s not hard because you’re in the city.
Has your family been supportive of your choice to pursue your career as an artist?
I mean - that’s hard. My dad’s a Ph.D. Economics guy - a businessman. This isn’t really a world he understands. My mom’s really supportive but I think she’s also wary because she knows how hard this lifestyle can be. I think I’ve satisfied my dad for now, though, just by coming to Barnard from Parsons, I was only focusing on the arts, while here at Barnard I’ve gotten to explore other fields.
Are you considering grad school?
I'm thinking about that right now because… well, I have to apply right now. I want to work after I graduate for a little bit and then go to grad school but also I don't know if I should keep my options open right now and just apply to grad school as well.
If you had all the time and money in the world to make art, what would you make?
Something big. Something that goes from the wall to the ground, probably very immersive. Maybe paint a car, or something functional, and turn that into a work of art. Just something that makes a connection, you know?
Thank you so much, Angela! Where else can we find your work and stay up to date?
My website is https://angelawei.cargo.site/ and my Instagram is @theangelawei.