Most people associate busy freeways with adjectives such as “dirty”, “overcrowded”, “monotonous”, but I have learned to see the beauty and diversity in them. In fact, I specialize in drawing roads as an art form. My drawings began after a trip to Los Angeles, where I became enthralled by the towering onramps and offramps, as well as the ever-changing ebb and flow of vehicles. There were ups and downs in my hobby, to be sure. Occasionally, when traveling to a place, I would insist on taking a certain route, and become livid when we couldn’t. However, due to my unwavering obsession with highways, my family and I have  taken on numerous new adventures, and most importantly, completed hundreds of drawings. 

My process begins inside the family van, where I observe roadway portions. These portions include onramps, stack interchanges, and truck lanes. Any freeway or highway could inspire me, even the notoriously horrific I-880 in the San Francisco Bay Area. I never take notes or photos. Instead, I visualize these portions in my head, and when sketching, connect them into a single, unique image. My sketches are jigsaw puzzles, where I connect pieces little by little. No mistakes are allowed. When I make mistakes, I either try to disguise them as extra onramps or offramps or redo the whole drawing. I know I am done once there are no mistakes and all the puzzle pieces are used. 

The meaning of my drawings is open to interpretation. Cardiologists compare them to arteries, while neurologists tell me they resemble synaptic networks. For me, they are a self portrait. In my brain process I have so many ideas that my “brain freeway” clogs. Since I can’t always express myself verbally, I communicate through drawing. Each car signifies a thought, and each road or intersection reveals how those thoughts intricately connect. My drawings are not just drawings; they reflect what happens inside me at different moments. 

Even during COVID, I continue to draw, and my imagination has not let me down. In fact, I am so fascinated with freeways that my favorite artist is Stephen Wiltshire – we even own a copy of his 3d sketch of Singapore in our house. 

– Aren Wang, website owner