China’s ‘knock-off’ capital now a hive of original art, as middle class tastes change

China’s ‘knock-off’ capital now a hive of original art, as middle class tastes change

An art district in China formerly known as the "knock-off painting capital of the world" – that once supplied over half of the world’s new oil paintings – has been forced to rebrand itself as a haven for original artwork.

Dafen Oil Painting Village, in the city of Shenzhen in the southern Guangdong province, found fame in the 1990s as it churned out replicas of classic works by the likes of Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali and Claude Monet.

During that period it was believed that around 60 per cent of new oil paintings in the world were painted in Dafen.

"Our fame was a double-edged sword,” Yu Sheng, executive vice president of the Dafen Fine Art Industry Association, told Chinese state media…

To continue reading this article

Start a 30-day free trial for unlimited access to Premium articles

  • Unlimited access to Premium articles 
  • Subscriber-only events and experiences
    Click Here: Maori All Blacks Store
  • Cancel any time

Free for 30 days

then only £2 per week

Try Premium

Save 25% with an annual subscription

Just £75 per year

 

Save now

Register for free and access one Premium article per week

Register

Only subscribers have unlimited access to Premium articles.Register for free to continue reading this article
RegisterOr unlock all Premium articles.
Free for 30 days, then just £1 per week
Start trial
Save 40% when you pay annually.
View all subscription options  |
Already have an account? Login

Login

Print subscriber? Click here