Lone mission to save a dying
art
Tai Liping,a folk artist from Northwest China's
Shaanxi Province,is in Shanghai presenting his Fengxiang
Nianhua(New Year prints)at the ongoing Second Shanghai
Folk Art Expo.But he's a worried man——his folk art is in danger of
dying.
From the formidable“Door Gods”to images of lucky
children,Tai's colorful New Year prints have been executed in
the typical“wild”style of Shaanxi folk artists.They are
characterized
by bold and uninhibited designs and the use of bright
colors.
Fengxiang,a small village in the
province,is one of the few remaining locations in China where the
craft of New Year print—making is still carried on,but
Fengxiang New Year prints are not as famous as those produced at
other