The Colby Echo sat down with Jess Xing `24, to discuss life at the College from an artist’s perspective. Xing is a biology and studio art double major. Though she initially thought it would be better to study something related to science, she decided to indulge her artistic drive during her time at Colby.
Why did you decide to be a studio art major?
“I’ve been doing art since [I was] very little, and then my initial thought was to study something more science-related — I’m also a biology major, but I feel like I’m deviating from biology and getting more into art because […] I’m really eager to express myself in some way,” Xing said.
She also expressed that if she doesn’t spend time pursuing art, she will regret it in the future.
What kind of classes have you taken and which have been your favorite?
“I don’t dislike [the classes], but I also don’t like them a lot. Colby’s art curriculum isn’t really good compared to actual art school, especially for a student who wants to pursue art as their career. Colby doesn’t really provide [many] options for concentrations. You’ve only got painting, sculpture, print-making, and maybe photography and studio art.”
She mentioned that some courses in JanPlan can get more interesting, but it is not the norm at the College.
“All the courses are more on fine art, and you don’t get to see a lot of experimental, more contemporary [art].”
What is your artistic focus?
“Right now it’s still mostly painting, but I’ve begun experimenting more by adding [the] knitting sculpture element to it.”
What is your creative process?
“To me, since I’m a painting major, I always have images in my mind, and it’s about putting them down and then revising them. Sometimes I’ll have a thumbnail, which is like a smaller sketch for the composition.”
Jess said she uses this thumbnail to check her progress as she goes.
What is one of your favorite pieces that you’ve made?
“The knitting installation I made last semester [is my favorite]. It was my first attempt in something other than painting, and it was a three-dimensional installation.”
“I really liked the theme of the show [Black Powers]. It was an artist [Natasha Marin] who wanted to collaborate with Colby students to create this show, so she gave us funding and [the] theme.”
Black Powers was an exhibition at Greene Block+Studios shown last semester, in April 2022.
“It was about Black people and their culture, but I was the only Asian in the whole group, so working on something that was out of my comfort zone… it takes some courage to do that. And I really like the result of the work.”
She described turning to art on matrilineality to tie it into the theme of Black Diaspora.
“Instead of focusing on Black culture, which I’m not a part of, I turned away to matrilineality — matriarchal societies.”
~ Nico Flota Sanchez `25
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