Nothing Is Ever Ordinary: Xinyu Yu on Still Life

Xinyu Yu is an award-winning artist and designer whose practice bridges the lyricism of Eastern traditions with the innovation of contemporary Western art. Born and raised in China, she trained rigorously in ink, watercolor, and oil painting before expanding her perspective through studies at Pratt Institute in Interior Design and at the University of Pennsylvania in Sustainable Design. Now based in Phoenix, Arizona, she draws inspiration from the region’s diverse landscapes and cultures, blending her cross-cultural background into a body of work that is both grounded in history and open to transformation.