His landscapes emerge with an unusual imposing quality. Art critic Li Chu-tsing compares the self-taught Yu to Grandma Moses. Both lacked formal training and began painting quite late; their ideas were thus entirely original.
藝評家李鑄晉將無師自通的余承堯比作美國素人畫家「摩西婆婆」，他們同樣從未接受過繪畫訓練，到了年邁之後才執筆作畫，而作品與眾不同，全是新意。