Moly Wu’s Chicago

by Micco Caporale (MA 2018)

Moly Wu fell in love with the Art Institute of Chicago museum as a high school student in Evanston.

At 13, she made the long journey to the midwest from Macau, China, to live with a host family and continue her education in the US. After she began classes in Illinois, she undertook an independent study exploring Chicago museums, and the Art Institute proved her favorite. Not only did seeing works by famous artists such as Andy Warhol inspire her to imagine a future in the arts, but she was also struck by something: School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) students could visit the museum every day. Despite homesickness, she was tickled at the thought of spending her weeks immersed in art. Now entering her third year of studying Painting and Drawing and Visual Communication Design at the School, her dream has become a reality. This is her Chicago.

Art Institute of Chicago

I didn't start painting until my junior year of high school. Georgia O'Keeffe (SAIC 1905–06, HON 1967) was the first artist who inspired me to try it, and I loved seeing her work at the Art Institute. I started painting flowers like her, and I really like her brushwork and colors. She still inspires me a lot.

Lakefront Trail

Last summer I had an internship doing art education with the YMCA in Chicago. Fireworks happened at Navy Pier twice a week, so I'd meet my friend after work, and walk the trail to see them. They'd start just after sunset, and I'd end at Navy Pier when it was dark and there was music playing. I never got tired of it. It was a very special ritual. Seeing the fireworks for a moment really made me feel how beautiful the city of Chicago is, with its towering buildings and the comfort of the lake.

Gogi Chicago Korean BBQ

In high school, my friends and I would take an Uber for 30 minutes just to get there. We were international students, and we all had different host families. We were really homesick, especially for the food, but we had strict rules from our host families and were underage so there weren't a lot of places we could go. That was a place we could go and just talk freely and express our ideas. The food was really good, too. My favorite was the bulgogi Korean barbecue.

AMC River East 21

Being a movie buff, my passion for films has been a constant in my life. However, watching movies in the United States, where subtitles are not always available, has sometimes proven to be a challenging experience for me. During my first year living in Chicago, I stumbled upon a hidden gem that became my sanctuary—the AMC River East 21, the only place that regularly has Chinese films. This discovery infused me with a profound sense of comfort and strength, especially during those moments when homesickness would creep in. Those screenings not only brought a piece of my homeland to me but also reaffirmed my love for cinema, transcending borders and bridging the gap between two worlds. ■