Guo Fengyi sets to work without an initial plan, her creative thoughts arising as she works. Her art is characterised by a plethora of spectral figures such as dragons, phoenixes and faces, crafted from delicate lines. These figures are sometimes interwoven, at times smiling and serene, at others terrifying and monstrous. Fengyi’s highly original work has the special capacity to transport the viewer to an imaginary land, a place of such serenity that it becomes disquieting and monstrous. She works using India ink and brushes.
Fengyi’s work has drawn a spectacular amount of attention since going on display. She was born in 1942 and obtained her high school diploma at the age of 20. Serious bouts of arthritis meant that she had to call an early end to her career at a rubber factory. Fengyi subsequently turned to alternative medicine in the hope of alleviating her symptoms, a switch that arguably lays at the roots of her artistic calling. Fengyi is commonly hailed as one of the most important figures in the history of Outsider Art.
