This romantic way of looking at such a simple action, is a throughline within her work.
you could feel my presence there.
I see canvas and the surface of a painting as infinite.
Faye Wei Wei in her studio
We Were a Knot in the Grain of the World.
Its a really tender drawing and I made it by rubbing it out with a pencil eraser.
It created this kind of dreamlike quality, but also a cocooning of the two lovers.
Life class early work, 2010
I was so fascinated by the crevices in leaves, she says.
It just felt really natural.
Wed use Liquin, which is quite toxic, goopy stuff.
Hungover with Leopolda Eating McDonald’s, 2022
My teacher called it marmalade, she said of the paint she still uses to this day.
I love her sense of romanticism, she says.
Shes been collecting loads of dandelions and has made a drawing out of their seeds.
Manon Moon, 2023
She returned from a recent holiday to find them drooping over the edge of their pewter vase.
Theyre almost like suspended wishes, Wei Wei suggests.
The theme of flowers runs deep throughoutPortals, though not in the way youd expect.
Photo: Alexia Mavroleon
Their petals feel like theyre blushing.
Wei Wei starts most days reading poetry, then painting from a somewhat meditative state.
Its a rare ability to draw so spontaneously, and she really has that.
She anchored her boat so we could waltz with the sunset, the sea was glass that day and all was still and silent and magical and love, 2022
Its so precious…you could see the coherence and evolution of her practice, she said recently.
The very last painting is an abstract sunset over pink waves.
