Interview

Oct 27

Angela Liu

Angela Liu is a first-generation immigrant from Taiwan whose family moved to Seattle, WA, during her high school years. After earning a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Washington, she worked as a software engineer at Microsoft, Meta, and various start-ups. In 2023, after more than a decade in engineering, she left her career and pursued art full-time. She now creates Surrealist graphite drawings that explore emotions difficult to express in words but shared by all of us. Her art is a conversation—an emotional bridge beyond language. Through intricate lines and delicate shading, she invites viewers to see themselves reflected in her work and to feel a little less alone in whatever they may be experiencing.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I’m a self-taught Surrealist graphite artist and a first-generation immigrant from Taiwan, now based in Seattle, WA. For over a decade, I worked as a software engineer, never imagining myself as an artist. In 2018, feeling burnt out from work, I began seeing a counselor. During one of our sessions, my counselor suggested that I try drawing my feelings. With no art background, my first sketches were little more than stick figures and wobbly lines, yet the process felt liberating. Somehow, even those simple drawings captured exactly how I felt, in ways I couldn’t express through words. Over time, drawing became my meditation and emotional outlet. My passion for art grew stronger each year, and in 2023, I made the leap to leave my engineering career and pursue art full-time.”

What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?

“My work explores emotions that we all experience at some point in our lives but rarely talk about — grief, confusion, impostor syndrome, and the quiet effort of carrying pain while continuing forward. It emphasizes the importance of facing our struggles and emotions with honesty and believing in our resilience to transform them into something beautiful.”

Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?

“It’s a mix. Some ideas come as very clear images in my head that I almost have no choice but to draw them. Other times, I’ll let myself improvise, letting the pencil guide me. I like to leave space for discovery, even within a planned piece.”

Are there any art world trends are you following?

“I don’t follow any particular trends.”

What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?

“When I’m out walking, I take pictures and videos of anything that catches my attention — a statue, a traffic light, a stone with an interesting shape, anything that sparks curiosity. From there, my mind starts to wander. Sometimes surreal imagery emerges from a single object; other times, I combine a few elements and see where they lead. I begin with a rough sketch to map out the general composition, leaving the details open so I can fill them in as I go. I like to let the pencils guide me and allow my mind to wander. I start the sketch with a 2H pencil, then gradually build layers using darker grades, from HB to 6B. I finish the piece with mechanical pencils to sharpen the finer details. I see my process more as sculpting than drawing — building layers of graphite over the paper’s texture until the image takes form.”

“My art is my journal. It’s how I process emotions, clear my thoughts, and calm my mind.”

What does your art mean to you?

“My art is my journal. It’s how I process emotions, clear my thoughts, and calm my mind. It’s my meditation, my love letter to the world, and my way of leaving small pieces of myself behind after I’m gone.”

What’s your favourite artwork and why?

“My favorite artwork is one of my earlier pieces, titled 'Healing.' Out of all my works, I feel this one best captured the emotions I was experiencing and in the way that I want to - the raw pain, the impatience to move on, the heaviness of dragging myself through each day, and yet, the faint smile reminding me to keep believing in the good of this world, of people, however heartbroken I was.”