Born in Xi’an, 1942, passed away in 2010. Guo Fengyi’s artistic practice articulates a particular journey of spiritual and metaphysical significance, belonging to an older generation whose embrace of Chinese folk culture imparts a unique knowledge of history, myth, and mystery. From the external manifestation of personal spirit to the mystery of cosmic phenomena, most of her creations are based on paper. Her brushstrokes are delicate and elegant, even seems difficult to be carried by a single piece of paper. The figures she draws are not only closely related to human body and mind, but also depicts and hints at the existence of other kind of spiritual world.

Guo is a self-trained female artist. Her first foray into the Chinese contemporary art world was her participation in the 2002 “Long March Project—A Walking Visual Display”, in which she produced site specific works at Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China, and collaborated with American artist Judy Chicago. Those works bore titles such as “Lugu Lake”, “Lijiang”, “The Mosuo”, “Kunming”, and “If Women Ruled the World”. In 2020, Guo’s first major institute solo exhibition was presented at the Drawing Center, New York, featuring more than 30 works that are most representative in her whole artistic practice, including the artist’s paintings in various media and different sizes from different periods of her creative career. The diary used in her early stage of artistic practice provides a wonderful reference to overview the artist's highly concentrated and all-encompassing creative career, offers the context gaining the insight into the artist’s artistic language extended from the traditional Chinese medicine, ancient Chinese cosmology, and personal life.