Shenzhen's oil painting village shifts from reproduction to renovation

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Dafen Village, noted for its vast number of oil paintings, is located in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. Home to more than 1,200 art studios and over 8,000 painters, Dafen's replica artworks are popular in both China and abroad.

Since 2005, more than 80 percent of oil paintings exported from China came from Dafen. In 2017, the annual output value of the oil painting village reached 4.15 billion yuan (614 million U.S. dollars).

An oil painting store at Dafen Village, south China. /VCG Photo

A large number of oil paintings are exported from Dafen Village, south China. /VCG Photo

A painter at Dafen Village, south China. /VCG Photo

With declining demand for replica works and an increasingly large market for originals, the village has shifted its focus from reproduction to innovation.

The 1st Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale was held in Shenzhen, south China, November 30, 2018. /VCG Photo

There are now some 300 artists working at the village focusing on original painting, contributing 20-30 percent of the total oil paintings in the area.

(Cover: An oil painting artist at Dafen Village, Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): China Daily