Ansai Peasant Paintings

The famous Ansai peasant paintings feature bright and vivid images of the lives and loves of peasants throughout China. The bold and colourful pictures are cherished as a reflective representation of the artistic talents of the Chinese peasant population.

Ansai is a small town within the Shaanxi province. It is well known for its creative and vivid peasant paintings and paper cuttings. It is influenced by many art forms from around the Ansai area including Shanbei paper cuttings, embroidery and cotton-made tigers.

Ansai peasant paintings are renowned for their use of child-like, exaggerated images and simplistic peasantry themes. The paintings emphasize the simplicity of rural life and feature real life scenes from festivals, the working day and family life.

In 1989, Ansai was officially given the title “Nation Wide Modern Folk Painting Town”. Women are the main artisans who seem to have innate skills of creativity and imaginative expression.

The National Art Museum of China has shown many Ansai paintings in recent years and continues to support peasant artisans and their work.

Recently, Ansai was officially recognized as the top “Peasant Painting Village” in 1998 by the State Ministry of Culture. The town has also opened “The Cultural Hall of Ansai County” which is committed to the preservation of traditional folk cultures. Many peasant paintings are on display in the seven exhibition halls.

Ansai peasant paintings are talented representations of the skills of peasants and portray the innocence and joyous nature of peasant life. They are perfect paintings to hang on any wall and regarded as a much loved traditional Chinese folk art.