DAFEN OIL PAINTING VILLAGE
Thousands of art galleries and institutions thrive.
Tens of thousands of painters paint.
All kinds of art genres flourish.
An integrated industry chain revolves.
Billions of yuan output.
This is the “First Oil Painting Village in China,”
Dafen Oil Painting Village.
Over the past decades,
Dafen has obtained various honours:
National Cultural Industry Demonstration Base,
The pioneer branch venue of the China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF),
One of the first “Featured Cultural Districts” of Shenzhen,
The biggest production and trading centre for oil painting in China,
And an important dissemination area for oil painting in the world.
Located in Dafen Community, Buji Subdistrict, Longgang District, Shenzhen,
Dafen was once a natural Hakka village.
Its history can be traced back to the reign of
Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.
The Hong and Wu Ancestral Halls now stand side by side,
Demonstrating the two families’ friendship for generations
And witnessing the transformation of Dafen over the centuries.
Since the 1980s, pioneers have been flowing to Dafen,
devoting themselves to the oil painting business.
By the late 1990s, as the number of art professionals boosted,
A series of professional dealing venues had appeared.
At its peak, Dafen once occupied
More than half of the global shareof oil painting products.
As the media coverage grew,
Local governments started to participate in Dafen’s development.
In 2004, Dafen became the first branch venue of
The China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF),
And the Administrative Office of Dafen Oil Painting Village was founded.
In 2007, the Dafen Art Museum and the public rental houses
Were successively constructed.
In 2010, Dafen Oil Painting Village appeared at the Shanghai Expo.
In 2013, the vocational skill competition for painting was set up,
Which took a lead in China.
Professional associations and Party and the Communist Youth League organisations
Were established as well.
As an art production site,
Dafen Oil Painting Village never ceased its pursuit for the authentic art.
In the 21st century,
The painters and the government collaborated
In search of possible ways of transforming the industry.
Since 2012, the National (Dafen) Youth and Middle-Aged Oil Painting Exhibition
Has been hosted for ten consecutive years.
The Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale, Shenzhen
Also took off in 2018.
In addition, the Dafen Art Museum and the art institutions in Dafen
Host a wide variety of exhibitions.
At present, there are more than 400 original painters in Dafen.
The creative capability in Dafen persistently grows.
In 2023, Dafen Oil Painting Village was renewed.
The Dafen Art Museum saw its refurbishment.
The world-class “Giorgio Morandi” exhibition attracted national attention.
In the future, Dafen will become an international “art+” district
And a new cultural brand with an international metropolis image.
Over the past three decades,
The art and culture in Dafen Oil Painting Village are becoming more dynamic.
One would find their passion here,
Be it painting or floral design, tea or coffee.
Come visit Dafen and find it out!
This article is reprinted from: Dafen Oil Painting Village DOPV