Even before setting foot on NYU Shanghai’s campus in her first year, Sissi Wang Xiya ’26 knew that she wanted to sketch and paint her college journey. But it wasn’t until studying away at NYU in New York City during her junior year that the Finance major and Mathematics minor from Shanghai finally began her watercolor series “上纽·绘” (In Lines, We Lived at NYU Shanghai). The series of color-drenched paintings showcases her personal experiences across the two campuses.
Sissi says studying away helped her look beyond life in the classroom and focus on those everyday experiences that shape university life. “Using illustration as a medium, I began capturing small but meaningful moments across campuses, preserving shared memories of learning, movement, and connection,” she says.
Struck by the architectural landmarks, atmosphere, and people of Shanghai and New York—and the academic experiences she had at both campuses, Sissi embarked on a year-long artistic journey. With a style inspired by illustrations from The New Yorker magazine, she also made sure to add touches of NYU violet.
Being in a completely new environment in New York inspired her too. After filling her sketchbook with NYU memories, she reflected on her experiences across both campuses. “I started to look back to my experiences at NYU Shanghai—to see the similarities and differences between the two,” she says. “Shanghai is a city that is very warm, dynamic, and full of energy. In many ways it mirrors the spirit of New York. I think that’s a big part of why I feel so connected to both cities.”
Sissi says her paintings often start with exploring with her camera. “When I go back to organize my photos—because I love to post on WeChat and Instagram—I want to also record those memories in my sketchbook, adjusting them a little bit to the style that I love,” she says.
In her paintings, every detail matters, “to make it vivid and look alive,” she says. “I take pictures first and then draw accordingly, but when painting students, I arrange them based on the season I want to paint and the weather I want to paint.”
Many of the characters in her works are fictitious, but Sissi enjoys adding herself, her friends, and classmates into her paintings, turning them into a collective memory shared by students across different grades. She painted herself on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and observing ice skaters at Rockefeller Center.
Sissi hopes to achieve a verisimilitude for each place, so that each painting preserves the essential feeling of some familiar corner of the city—from New York’s metro stations and Washington Square Park to Shanghai’s iconic Bund, tree-lined streets, and NYU Shanghai’s campus quad.
Returning to NYU Shanghai for her senior year, Sissi realized she wanted to include more moments from her home campus in the series and is working on a number of pieces reflecting highlights from her time at NYU Shanghai.
Her favorite memories have been some of the lectures and symposiums she participated in. “We were able to meet so many people, like Nobel Laureates…,” she recalled. “I loved listening to conversations to see their perspectives, absorb[ing] knowledge from different fields beyond finance and the arts. It makes this university different from others.”
As she completed more paintings of her time in Shanghai, Sissi says she’s been reflecting on her time here. “I think it was the best choice for me to come to NYU Shanghai,” she says. “You get to really know people and the world.”
What began as a personal visual journal can also be seen as a reflection of NYU Shanghai’s history in the making. “I hope this project can also resonate with others and potentially bring together diverse student perspectives, creative interpretations, and shared memories of campus life,” she says.
From symposiums and guest speakers to milestones like NYU Shanghai’s 10 year anniversary and commencement ceremonies—Sissi’s works simultaneously capture her lived experiences and the University’s history in the making. “While it began as a personal visual journal, I hope this project can also resonate with others and potentially bring together diverse student perspectives, creative interpretations, and shared memories of campus life,” she says.