A stroke of color blooms outward on the page as veins of soft, blurred pigment stretch towards the edge of the scene. For senior Lianna Wan, watercolor is an art of storytelling, a window into a deeper understanding of humanity, a world where each stroke breathes meaning into tradition and culture. 

At a young age, Lianna became interested in art, experimenting with a variety of mediums. Still, she remained most drawn to watercolor and calligraphy, passions that have translated into her art style now. She notices how her work has never featured the harsh, bold contours of pop art; instead, it combines watercolor’s soft pigments with calligraphy and traditional Chinese mythological motifs to explore cultural themes. A simple 24-pot paint palette unlocks endless possibilities for her.

“Creating artwork for me is a way to express myself because usually I’m not the most expressive person,” Lianna said. “I tend to be more reserved, so creating artwork is a way that I can emphasize the feelings that I have that aren’t so calm. It’s a way for me to understand the expression of people without having to feel those things myself.”

Close friend senior Arjen Sen emphasized Lianna’s growth and dedication to help others. She reminisces on her first impressions of Lianna during their shared AP Biology summer course and AP Calculus AB in junior year, remarking about how they both supported each other through classes.

“My first impressions of her were that she was really shy and quiet, but, to my surprise, she turned out to be the complete opposite of that,” Arjen said. “She’s very unexpectedly fun to be around. She’s always really encouraging for you to bring out the best in you and for you to put in your best effort no matter how challenging the task may be.

Upon the commission of her friends, Lianna created a variety of artworks throughout ninth and tenth grade. Lianna’s gifts eventually progressed into a business, where she started selling artwork, crochet pieces, keychains and stickers with her business partner and friend, Khloe, over the summer. Each year, when she visits Hong Kong, where she was born, they host a 6-day booth to sell their artwork. Following her senior year, she plans to launch a more concrete business model. 

Lianna still carries a deep connection to her cultural roots, having been born in Hong Kong, despite moving away at only eight years old. Though she was fluent in English, she still encountered cultural barriers upon living in the U.S. Now, Lianna makes an effort to channel and incorporate memories and influences from her upbringing in China, combined with her current American life, into her artwork. 

“I also try to tie a lot of the culture involved in my art, considering my background,” Lianna said. “I was born in Asia, and then I moved to the U. S., so I like the kind of fusion that I feel or the tension between those two.”

Math teacher Caren Furtado, who taught Liana in Precalculus and AP Calculus AB, also admires Lianna’s growing confidence. She has watched Lianna break out of her shell and build a supportive and loving community around her own unique background and perspectives. 

“She has become more comfortable with who she is, and now she is unafraid of speaking her mind,” Furtado said. “She is so much more exuberant. In office hours, there are people who only come here to see if she is there and I don’t even teach her anymore. She really has blossomed so much. She’s become so much stronger in voicing her opinions.”

Lianna weaves tradition into her artwork by including the rich history of Chinese dynasties’ fashion. She finds inspiration in her research of the evolution of traditional Chinese clothing, comparing styles across centuries and using them as references in her art. Moreover, Lianna seeks to incorporate culture and mythology into her artwork, with motifs such as the white tiger, the dragon and compass directions showing up consistently. 

“The embroidery work and the detail that they put into all traditional clothes were so much more personalized than what they are now,” Lianna said. “Back then there was so much symbolism. I also like to focus on those symbols. I just think that how nature ties into the symbolism, what ties into the values that we have in society, is pretty meaningful.”

Besides watercolor, Lianna also uses literature as a form of creative fulfillment. An avid fan of Arthur Conan Doyle, She gravitates toward mystery novels as well as books that challenge readers’ views on morality and philosophy. Lianna appreciates narratives that pose dilemmas and plots that blur the lines between right and wrong, as they spark deeper internal reflection and thought. 

“I love fiction,” Lianna said. “I read a lot of books that are about morality and the human psyche because I think it’s interesting how sometimes we see things as very black and white, and a lot of the books that I choose to read are in that gray area. You can’t really tell if a character is good or bad, but you gain more insights into life.”

Lianna’s love for reflecting on complexity in literature mirrors her approach to art, where she often layers subtle nuances to form with deeper underlying significance. Like her background, her art represents a coalition of cultural influences that blend together harmoniously. 

“I like the familiarity with watercolor, but also I like that the colors can blend so easily, and it’s not anything that’s really sharp,” Lianna said. “Each color is not anything that’s particularly eye-catching, but if you add them all together, it creates this thing that overall looks pretty. While each part is not, in itself, very eye-catching, it’s still harmonious and pretty as a whole.”