May 10, 2020
Guo Fengyi: To See From a Distance @ The Drawing Center 20 February — 10 May 2020
There are three ways to learn; through experience, through study, through observation. Following her mind, body and spirit, Guo’s drawings go with the flow.
Guo Fengyi is a self taught Chinese artist born in 1942. She started drawing in her late forties. She worked in a chemical fertilizer factory and suffered from arthritis. Dealing with pain, Guo turned to Qigong, a natural treatment involving meditation, movement, breathing and spirituality.
The drawings in “to see from a distance” are a reflection of meditations, self healing sessions, and an example of the body/spirit /mind connecting. Not limiting herself to just silent meditation, Guo’s drawings are spiritual expression happening on paper. The detailed drawings look like bacteria, the brain, the heart, molecular cell structures. The colors and lines give insight to what the inside of the body looks like letting us know the possible real spiritual connection between the self, the body and everything else. Be conscious and take care of yourself.
Cities around the world are still on lock down, with some slowly considering to reopen. While on lock down our movements have been restricted. Guo’s drawings remind me that spirituality is about involvement and movement. It’s enjoyment in the process. Focus. And feeling energized. Even a simple walk can be transformative.
Because of the current global pandemic, I didn’t get a chance to see the drawings myself, but I’ve saved almost all of the images on my IPhone.
To See From a Distance is Guo Fengyi’s first major exhibition in the United States.
She died age 66 in 2010.
The Drawing Center
35 Wooster Street,
NY, New York, 10013
