Artist presents a fantasy world at solo exhibition

Self-trained artist Liu Guoyi once made a living by making portraits on the streets of Beijing. Not only did he hone his painting skills, but also learned to observe people from different walks of life and feel social transformations.

The experiences of being a street artist enriched Liu's mind and heart, as he developed a unique visual vocabulary. He creates a fantasy world in which he utilizes vivid colors to express urban dwellers' happiness, confusions, illusions and psychological battles.

Liu's one-man exhibition, Fantasy and Superstring, now on at the Today Art Museum through Nov 13, shows an insight into the richness and complexity of people's emotions.