Wu Meifei poses with painting Photos:Xu Ming/GT

Guo Haiping tried every way possible to persuade Wu Meifei, an artist who came to Guo's center, to stay longer. But Guo's efforts were futile. Wu is schizophrenic, a severe mental disorder characterized by the lack of ability to be in touch with reality. But he is in a better condition now.

Guo, the founder of Nanjing Natural Art Center (NNAC), said that it is difficult to find resident artists for the center.

NNAC is the first non-profit institution in the Chinese mainland that focuses on exploring art created by mentally ill people, including those with schizophrenia and autism. Built in 2010, the center provides them with a space to exhibit their talent in artistic creations.

The center now exhibits over 70 works from Chinese and foreign artists. Some were collected from hospitals and some were bought from galleries in other countries.

Though Wu's older sister tried to convince him to stay longer, Wu still asked to leave the following week. Guo felt frustrated, but for him, this is just one of the numerous difficulties in running the center and starting an outsider art movement in China.

Paving the way

"We cover their travel fees and daily expenses here and provide them materials [for painting]. They can freely express themselves in painting here, away from society. Some other artists have said these works resemble that of world-class masters," Guo said, pointing to the exhibited paintings.

Wu, 45, a native of Nanping, Fujian Province, has been painting since 2003. His work is shockingly beautiful and meticulous.

"Painting makes me feel tranquil," he said.

The word "art brut," or outsider art, was coined by French painter Jean Dubuffet in 1962 and refers to art forms that rely little on traditional art theories. Such art is created by people outside the art circle. These artistic works go beyond the palpable experience and are created by unprofessional or mentally ill people.

Guo said that art brut is regarded as an important movement that drives forward the development of art in the West. But in China, this movement has been largely neglected.

"They [mentally ill people] see things from a different angle, unaffected by society," Guo explained."They show us an untainted inner world."

Guo created a venue for creative people with mental disorders six years ago. He originally built a small "art ward" in a hospital for patients who loved art, but it was shut down.

Years later, Guo received financial support from Zeng Lihua, a fellow supporter, to build a center dedicated to providing art space for mentally ill people. Zeng has annually invested 300, 000 yuan ($47,980) in the center for three years, starting from 2010.