Painters in a Chinese village once known for churning out replicas of Western masterpieces are now making original art worth thousands of dollars, selling their works in a booming domestic market.
Artist Zhao Xiaoyong standing next to his original paintings - inspired by the classics - in his studio at Dafen village. Photo: AFP
A few artists gave up and closed their studios. But others saw in the obstacles an opportunity to establish themselves as painters in their own right by catering to China’s art market – the second-biggest in the world, with sales jumping by 35% in 2021.Self-taught artist Zhao Xiaoyong used to sell replicas of Vincent van Gogh’s work for about 1,500 yuan each, while his original pieces fetch up to 50,000 yuan , he said.
“We paint a few strokes over the printed image to make it look like an authentic oil painting,” said one artist, who declined to be named. ”Buyers think the printed background is painted using watercolours.”Another Dafen-based artist on a mission to move on from painting imitations is Wu Feimin, who has carved out a niche selling Buddhist-themed art.
While he continues to make ends meet by exporting replicas of Western works, he also creates his own pieces, determined to crack the more lucrative domestic market and become a portrait painter for the wealthy. And he is confident in his abilities over those of artists from well-known schools.
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