DAFEN’S 5,000 ARTISTS ARE KNOWN FOR REPRODUCTIONS, BUT THEY ARE NOW SEEING A NEW DEMAND FOR MORE ORIGINAL CREATIONS. RICHARD SHAW FINDS OUT MORE
WITH A PHOTOGRAPH in one hand and paintbrush in the other, Sun Weiyi applies the last brushstrokes to an oil painting before declaring it finished. It’s early evening and this is the second piece she has produced so far today.
“I’m not as fast as some people around here,” she asserts as she takes a breather in her studio. Originally from central Hubei Province, Sun and her husband, both art school graduates, came to Shenzhen nine years ago in search of fame and fortune, ending up in the modern suburb of Dafen in the city’s northern outskirts.
As you wander about the small village, the aroma of oil paint hangs heavily in the air. And it’s little wonder. Almost every building and dwelling in this four square kilometre area is an art studio or gallery, and virtually every household here relies on art as its main source of income. But this is no bohemian creative community, where artists sit around sipping coffee while seeking inspiration from one another. Art is a rather more serious industry indeed, with some five million paintings of all manner produced here annually.
ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
What began as a small cottage industry in the early 1990s has now mushroomed into a huge business that turns over some US$36 million per annum. With over 700 galleries and studios, there are over a staggering 5,000 artists working here. Wandering through the tight streets and lanes is literally like walking through a labyrinth of art. There is simply no other artistic community like Dafen – a truly amazing place where painters, with practically no pretension, live and breathe their craft , painting up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
“When I studied art in Wuhan, my parents thought I’d made a stupid choice,” says 31-year-old Deng Peng, on his family’s disappointment that he hadn’t pursued a corporate career. “But now I’m working as an artist full-time and making pretty good money.”
Dafen, like the rest of Shenzhen, is populated by people from all across China. Deng describes how many of them are graduates from the country’s famed art colleges, including the prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
Up the lane from Deng’s place, Zhen Zifen is hanging up works to dry in the small studio she shares with her husband. It is the school holidays and Zhen’s 12-year-old daughter is helping her mother organise paintings in the family gallery. It’s typical of the community feel in Dafen where children play in the small lanes, running amongst the countless pictures on display while their parents paint away inside. In a square in the centre of all this activity, like any other Chinese village, stands the brightly painted local primary school and an ageing Chinese temple.
GETTING THERE
Dafen is near Buji town in Shenzhen’s northern Longgang District. The 30-minute taxi ride will cost around RMB40 one way. Alternatively, Bus 106 runs from just outside Shenzhen Railway Station and stops at Dafen. The journey takes between 40 to 50 minutes.
FROM IMITATION TO CREATION
As you amble through Dafen’s streets, gazing at the works hanging outside the never-ending array of galleries, it does not take long to realise the choice of art and variety styles is incredible. But what drives this? Zhen admits that what people paint in Dafen is mostly dictated by market demand, and for a long time, this simply meant copies of famous masterpieces.
Indeed, Dafen has made its name by supplying an insatiable worldwide demand for imitations of the work of the world’s most famous painters. Stroll about, and you’ll soon see replicas of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and scores of other classic works hanging in many galleries.
The speed and accuracy of these reproductions are pretty impressive to see in action, as visitors to Shenzhen’s International Cultural Industry Fair held in May each year will testify. Seated in Dafen’s main square, over 200 of the village’s finest and fastest painters compete in what has become a highlight of the event for
Artist Zhen Zifen with her daughter, a copy of Mona Lisa painted by artist, Yu Dingqi the past three years – the Annual Copy Painting Competition. Seated behind their easels, the artists feverishly race the clock to reproduce a stunning painting from a photograph of a portrait or scenery oil painting. However, this obsession with imitation is slowly changing, with original works and commissioned pieces emerging as a definite and growing trend.
Wang Nanfei, an original artist working from Beijing’s Songzhuang Artist Village, says the recent popularity of contemporary mainland Chinese art in major auction houses in New York and Europe has influenced the work coming from this southern village. With about a quarter of the world’s 100 top-selling artists in 2006 coming from mainland China, Dafen’s art community has been particularly buoyed by this phenomenal success and encouraged to create more one-off pieces.
Yu Dingqi, who runs a studio with his team of young painters, describes how this changing of the guard can be seen by the ratio of original work now displayed in many of the galleries. While portrait painting has long been popular, with customers oft en bringing a photo of themselves or a loved one, Yu says, “We’re also starting to see requests for more original work.”
Part of this rise in tourists visiting Dafen for more innovative art is a strong demand from fashion-savvy Hong Kongers, who frequently cross the border on shopping sprees. Newly-wed Sara Chow is on a shopping trip in Shenzhen looking to spruce up the apartment she recently bought in Hong Kong.
“I don’t want anything tacky,” she stresses, whilst browsing through Dafen’s galleries. “I want paintings that will suit the mood and feel of our apartment and furniture.”
Dafen’s artists are incredibly versatile and able to paint almost anything and everything. As such, many people specifically come here to commission bespoke pieces. Bring a photo, or an example of what you would like, give the artist some instructions on the desired size, colour and style, and that dream painting can be yours.
This new push towards original work, alongside the ongoing success of Dafen’s reproductions, has been widely applauded by the Shenzhen government – and not just because of the obvious economic contribution of the local artistic community. Officials believe that it is also vastly helping to change the public’s perception of Shenzhen and show that the city is more than just a staid business centre.
Just last year, the local government opened the Dafen Art Museum, the village’s first public gallery, which not only promotes the area as a visual arts centre, but also proves that the focus is shift ing to the admiration of art, and not just its commercial value.
It is still early days, but boldly standing in a public square at Dafen’s southern end, the swanky new museum stands as a symbol for all to see of the district’s increasing maturity and a bright future for the talented local community.
BUYER TIPS
As elsewhere in China and much of Asia, bargaining is standard when negotiating prices for art sold from Dafen. Prices tend to fluctuate and many outlets will lower their prices if you are buying more than one item.
A single purchase of a good copy of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers will cost around US$50 or less, while cost of original artwork will vary according to size and your bargaining skills. With most customers never setting foot anywhere near Dafen or Shenzhen, many galleries can arrange reliable shipping. Customers wanting to carry their masterpieces themselves should ensure the gallery packs them carefully.
ADDRESS BOOK
DAFEN ART MUSEUM
This striking slate-grey building was designed by visionary Chinese architecture firm, Urbanus. The 12,000sqm space showcases art painted by residents of Dafen and beyond. Dafen Oil Painting Village, Buji Neighbourhood, Shenzhen
DAFEN LOUVRE
Opened in 2006, this 3,000sqm complex is spread over four floors and houses over 50 small studios and galleries, with literally something for everyone. You can’t miss the building, opposite the village’s main entrance – just look for the replica of Michelangelo’s David, flanked by flowerpots in front.
SHENZHEN ART LOVER
One of the first commercial-sized galleries in Dafen, this gallery produces a multitude of both classical and contemporary work. 3/F Painting Street, tel +86 (0)755 2870-4236, www.artlover.cn
STARRY SKY OIL PAINTING STUDIO
A small studio specialising in all works and run by husband-and-wife team Li Mingxing and Zhen Zifen. 5 Lane 10, tel +86 (0)755 8951-0873
YU DINGQI SHOW ROOM
Master painter Yu Dingqi, assisted by his young team, produces a plethora of work (including one-off, bespoke commissions) from this small studio. 17 Xin Fen Street, tel +86 (0)755 8415-9829
ZHOU XUECHUN PORTRAITS
A specialist portrait painter, Zhou skillfully paints any request – from a portrait of Mickey Mouse to your grandmother or even Chairman Mao. 6 (East) Lane 2, tel +86 (0) 1359 037-9708
