This has to be one of the most wholesome art projects I’ve ever come across on social media.
There are a lot of these ‘hey-I-just-drew-you’ types of accounts out there, but many of them feel staged. As if the moment was fabricated. Not that the artwork in those isn’t good, some truly are fantastic. It’s just that there seems to be a lack of authenticity in the moment. There’s a delay in the edit as the artist approaches. The awkward eye contact as the subject tries to look surprised. The work of Nicki Xu feels far more genuine as she stealthily creates beautiful, small watercolor portraits of strangers around Boston.
You can feel the shock and joy of the subject as well as the very real support of the friends around them when the work is revealed. Some are nearly brought to tears. You get the feeling that the sole purpose of this project is to make people feel good. After all, Nicki doesn’t accept payment for the work. These are little gifts meant to cheer people up. Added to the artwork itself are special ‘pay-it-forward’ messages of encouragement on the back of each piece left by the previous subject.
I stumbled upon Nicki Xu’s TikTok profile during a typical evening of scrolling and this has to be one of the most wholesome art projects I’ve come across. This right here is what social media should be about. This is what I’d always thought it would be about when I was young and naive. As an artist who specializes in live painting sessions at weddings and parties, Nicki has has honed her skills at bringing smiles through art. And doing these surprise portraits of folks in ordinary, day-to-day settings seems to suit her perfectly.
It’s moving to see an artist — or anyone for that matter — take the time to simply spread happiness, expecting nothing in return other than positive words for the next person. This really did my heart good to see. And with all of the amazing stories coming out of Boston during the World Cup, this adds to what many have been saying lately. It’s the people of a country that foster a community, not their government. At our core, most of us are decent, loving, and kind. The more artists like Nicki do what they do, the more this feeling will spread. In a seemingly broken world, art (and apparently sports) can help us to heal.
Cheers!
Stephen
Website -> nickilovesdrawing.wixsite.com/livepainting
Instagram -> instagram.com/nickilovesdrawing
TikTok -> tiktok.com/@nickilovesdrawing_
Linktree -> linktr.ee/nickilovesdrawing
