Susan Te Kahurangi King: Untitled, c. 1965, graphite and colored pencil on paper, 11 1/2 by 16 inches; courtesy of Andrew Edlin.
Susan Te Kahurangi King, whose Maori middle name means “treasured one,” is one of those rare Outsider artists destined to be fast-tracked to the mainstream à la James Castle and Judith Scott. Like many outsiders, King has an unusual biography. She stopped speaking around age four and drew prolifically until she abruptly stopped in her 30s, only to resume 20 years later. These 40-plus drawings show King to be an accomplished draftsperson with a singular vision and an unfettered line. She uses a mix of popular and personal cartoon-like characters to populate densely detailed landscapes. Donald Duck seems to be a special favorite; she deconstructs and morphs him in ways Walt Disney would never approve of.
