About

Hello! My name is Jessie Xu, I am a portrait painter and illustrator based in New York City. I graduated from School of Visual Arts, 2024.

I was born in Shanghai, August 2002, and I have discovered interests in art since August 2001. When I was very young, I started doodling on every surface I could find. Walls, exam papers, me and my little brother’s faces... It is the only thing that keeps me quiet as a child, and as an adult.

With each commission, I aim to capture not just a likeness but the unique essence of the subject, whether it’s a person or a beloved pet.

Thanks for viewing my website, I wish you had fun, and feel free to contact me with any inquiries :)

Exhibitions

School of Visual Arts BFA illustration & BFA cartooning senior show
Lore Degenstein Gallery 15th Annual Figurative Art Exhibition
Richeson75 International Art Competitions, 2024 Figure/Portrait, Sep 2024
Art Groove Group exhibition in Chelsea, New York – October 18, 2024
Richeson75 International Art Competitions, 2024 Animals, Birds, and Wildlife, Nov 2024
The Rice Gallery of Fine Art, Small Works National Juried Show, Feb 2025
Red Bluff aRT Gallery, aRT 4 Animals! 2025, Feb 2025
Gallerium & The Book of Arts, People - 2025 (3rd annual Juried Exhibition, Publication, Sales), Feb 2025

Awards

April 2024 BoldBrush Painting competition, FAV15%
2024 Richeson75 Figure/Portrait finalist
2024 Richeson75 Animals, Birds, and Wildlife competition finalist
Art Renewal Center’s 17th International ARC Salon Competition -semi-finalist
Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship 2025 - The Win, Lose & Draw Award
Graphis New Talent 2025 Silver Award

Publications & Interviews

Visual Opinion Volume 30 Issue 6, Cover artist
Voyage LA https://voyagela.com/interview/life-work-with-jessie-xu-of-new-york
CanvasReble https://canvasrebel.com/meet-jessie-xu
Create! Magazine AQ Volume V Extraordinary Women Artists, Jan 2025
AATONAU Interview - upcoming