Guangdong Museum of Art Folk Art Exhibition: "All in the New Year Dream"

Folk art is rooted in folk culture and expresses the most simple spiritual demands and life aspirations of the people in the most natural and vivid language. It is the cultural root of the Chinese nation. The Guangdong Museum of Art has specially launched a collection of fine works, focusing on three categories: New Year paintings, wood carvings, and paper cuttings. With the theme of "All in the New Year Dream", the exhibition introduces the "commonality" and "individuality" of folk art to the audience. New Year paintings are one of the representative folk arts in China. They originated from the ancient "door god paintings", developed in the Tang and Song dynasties, and flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties. They are mostly used for New Year posting, praying for blessings and good fortune, hence the name New Year paintings. New Year paintings from all over the country have particularly distinctive styles due to different regions, such as Yangliuqing in Tianjin, Taohuawu in Suzhou, Zhuxian Town in Henan, Fengxiang in Shaanxi, Wuqiang in Hebei, and Foshan in Guangdong. Wood carvings and paper cuttings are also among the folk arts and are widely loved by people. Folk art is not affected by regional differences. People have a high degree of consistency in the choice of subject matter, the shaping of aesthetic tastes, and the expression of thoughts and emotions. Folk art is a kind of beauty integrated into life, created to express oneself, entertain oneself, and satisfy oneself. This is the "commonality" of folk art. "Individuality" refers to the fact that in the production process, folk craftsmen from different regions will skillfully integrate regional characteristics and personal skills into their works. For example, the same New Year painting: Yangliuqing in Tianjin is fresh and gorgeous, while Taohuawu in Suzhou is soft and elegant; the same wood carving: Dongyang is deep and vigorous, while Chaozhou is gorgeous and vivid... All folk arts have symbolic significance for a region: a well-known skill, a set of commonly used colors, and a unique rhythm all make the culture and aesthetics of this land uniquely charming! Thanks to the Guangdong Museum of Art, folk art, which is gradually fading from people's sight, is exhibited with a collection of fine works, bringing a spiritual shock to the audience and making them deeply respectful of the exquisite skills of folk art! It makes people love the bustling and prosperous world even more! Address: Guangdong Museum of Art, Baietan Art Center, Liwan District, Guangzhou Transportation: Metro Line 1, Fangcun Station, Exit B1, 500 meters walk Free opening hours: 9:00–17:00 (Tuesday–Sunday, closed on Monday)