Hong Kong protests, trade war paint picture of tough times for China’s go-to village for fake oil paintings
- Business is drying up as exports fall, domestic demand declines and the unrest in Hong Kong saps interest, insiders from the village of Dafen say
- The village in Shenzhen used to be home to more than 1,200 galleries, up to 20,000 painters and, at its peak, accounted for about 60 per cent of the global market
For three decades the urban village of Dafen in southern China was a hive of artistic industry, churning out metres after metres of reproduction oil paintings to adorn walls throughout the country and overseas.
The village in the northeastern part of Shenzhen, just over the border from Hong Kong, was an assembly line for copycat masterpieces and the place to go for a knock-off of Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers or a fake Fang Lijun.
“Every gallery and self-employed painter in Dafen saw their business drop by between one-third and half this year,” Lisa Zhou, a painter in her thirties, said. “Many of the veteran painters have left Dafen, and those still left are struggling. I have never seen the village so deserted as now.”
Many of the veteran painters have left Dafen, and those still left are struggling. I have never seen the village so deserted as now
Artists began flocking to the village in the early 1990s, attracted by low rents and proximity to Hong Kong, a gateway for exports.
Others followed, and soon there were galleries churning out high-quality fakes for overseas buyers. Trained artists could earn between 100 yuan (US$14) and 200 yuan for each piece.
By the late 2000s, the village was home to more than 1,200 galleries and up to 20,000 painters crammed into less than half a square kilometre and, at its peak, Dafen accounted for about 60 per cent of the global market.