Senior Amy Pan is well known among her friends and teachers for her bold artistic experimentation in different media, everything from a brilliantly designed pop-up book she did as a freshman, to an abstract painting representing emotions to a dress she designed and crafted on a mannequin.
This past year, she put 100 hours in creating her latest project: a multicolored, multilayered tapestry that balances different motifs of nature and water and aims to show humans’ place in nature
Called “Nature’s Chance Encounter,” it was displayed prominently on the back wall in Saratoga Library’s Group Study Room from Dec. 1-Feb. 1 and was the centerpiece of an exhibition.
“It’s a statement against Silicon Valley’s culture of toxic productivity and a reminder to slow down and reconnect with nature,” Pan said.
The tapestry — along with 17 other art pieces drawn all painted and created by Pan — decorated the beige walls with both abstract and concrete images of nature and scenery.
Pan said she focuses on bringing nature indoors to inspire mindfulness and environmental awareness. She hoped to spark reflection and connection through her artwork.
“It was rewarding to see students step into the group study room, pause and take a moment to breathe and reset,” Pan said.
From a young age, Pan has been creating art in multiple mediums. She completed her first drawing when she was 3 or 4 years old and started filming YouTube videos in middle school after being inspired by aesthetic journaling videos.
However, it wasn’t until her sophomore year that she said she really began expressing herself in her art. During this period, Pan felt her style really started to develop. Around this time, she also started shifting her perspective on video making.
“At first, my focus was just on making things visually appealing, but, looking back, those videos didn’t feel personal or genuine — they were pretty, but empty,” Pan said.
After watching the Chinese Drama “When I Fly Towards You” during the summer after sophomore year, Pan approached her videos from a more authentic perspective — her goal was to document her life during high school so she could look back and reminisce in the future.
Currently, Pan has 1,500 subscribers on YouTube and 5,500 on Bilibili, a China-based video sharing platform. In the future, she plans to create more structured videos to share her insights.
“Honestly, creating art isn’t always driven by motivation,” Pan said. “It’s often a challenging and even painful process at times, but the joy of creating is unique — it’s a deep, fulfilling happiness that feels completely different from the fleeting satisfaction of consuming content, and it’s when you go through the pain of creating that the happiness hits so differently.”
In college, Pan plans to continue her artistic journey through classes at both Brown University and its shared art program at the Rhode Island School of Design. She hopes to explore how art intersects with public health and communication, particularly how digital media and emerging technologies like augmented reality and Educational Technology can be combined to create work that inspires change and educates people.
“Art has been my way of challenging norms, capturing moments and creating meaning in my life,” Pan said. “Whether it’s through a tapestry or a 30-second clip of my day, I hope to continue sharing stories that spark thought and connection.”
