Ying Yefu graduated from the China Academy of Art with a degree in Visual Communication Design and currently lives and works in Xianyang, Shaanxi. Committed to breaking conventions, he builds a bridge between nostalgia and surrealism, applying the traditional gongbi outline technique (baimiao)—inflected with a slightly raw, single-line flat-colour approach—to contemporary figure painting. The result is imagery that appears uncanny yet charged with dramatic tension. His works have been exhibited at MoCA Shanghai, in San Francisco and Singapore.

Trained in painting from an early age in ink landscape and meticulous techniques, Ying initially entered the art field as a graphic designer, gaining fluency in digital media, printmaking, and illustration. He later chose a reverse trajectory—returning to tradition and focusing on contemporary gongbi practice. Working on xuan paper, he boldly experiments with diverse materials such as ink, tea, coffee, and mineral pigments, integrating the depth of Chinese cultural heritage with contemporary aesthetics. His technique has evolved over time, shifting from highly refined baimiao draftsmanship toward a more rugged, single-line flat application. This innovative adaptation of traditional methods to static figural representation creates compositions that are at once peculiar and powerfully dynamic.

Ying’s inspiration is deeply rooted in childhood memory and personal experience. His paintings frequently feature symbolically charged figures—children, young girls, martial arts masters—placed within fantastical and theatrical settings. Fascinated by wuxia culture and kung fu, he evokes a mythic era defined by chivalry and martial valor. His compositions oscillate between spontaneous looseness and meticulous precision, generating both perplexity and emotional resonance in the viewer.

Known for his keen observation and acute sensitivity, Ying’s work probes the subtle psychological states and lived experiences of contemporary individuals. Drawing upon the multiple pronunciations and meanings of the character “kong” —which may signify emptiness, vacancy, or suspension—he captures fleeting moments of emotional disarray and solitude amid the complexities of modern life and overwhelming flows of information. He delicately renders the bittersweet textures of daily existence, as well as those inadvertent, dramatic instants in which hidden truths or vulnerabilities are revealed. Crucially, Ying maintains a resolute independence. He consciously distances himself from dominant artistic circles and market-driven trends, pursuing an almost solitary dedication to inward exploration. His practice remains steadfastly committed to articulating the nuanced emotions that resist verbal expression, forging a singular path defined by introspection and integrity.