Farmer paintings of E China's Zhejiang capture hearts of international audience

Over the past 40 plus years, farmer-artists in Jiaxing city, east China's Zhejiang Province, have drawn inspiration from rural life and created paintings that captured the hearts of people around the world.

"I never imagined that my works could reach a global audience before," said Miao Huixin from Youchegang town, Xiuzhou district, who was one of the first farmer-artists there.

Photo shows a work of Miao Huixin created in 1983. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Miao was once a teacher in a primary school. When China held its first national exhibition of farmer paintings in 1983, Miao, who enjoyed painting, and eight fellow villagers received multiple national and provincial awards, which greatly inspired them.

Since Xiuzhou was designated as China's first "rural painting village" in the late 1980s, Miao's works have been exhibited in Beijing constantly, and well-received by international artists. In 1995, a foreign friend brought his works to Paris, France for an exhibition, which marked the beginning of the journey of Xiuzhou farmer paintings towards international recognition.

"My works depict memories of working in the countryside during my childhood. I believe it was my authentic life experiences as a farmer that caught international attention," Miao said.

To this day, over 4,000 works created by more than 100 farmer-artists in Xiuzhou have made their way to multiple countries, including France, the United States, and Japan.

Photo shows cultural and creative products featuring farmer paintings of Xiuzhou district, Jiaxing city, east China's Zhejiang Province on display in Italy, May, 2019. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Another farmer-artist Chen Hanying had her Dragon Boat Festival-themed work exhibited in countries including Romania and Portugal. "This painting depicts the folk customs of the Dragon Boat Festival here in the coastal area south of the Yangtze River. The grandmother and mother are making clothes for the children together, as a way to pray for safety and health for the children," she said. Chen added that over the years, her hometown's living environment, transportation facilities, and living conditions have improved, and she has recorded the changes in her paintings.

Farmer paintings have helped drive local economic growth these years. Xiuzhou has launched various cultural and creative products featuring farmer paintings, such as phone cases and silk scarves, with the revenue of its cultural and creative industry reaching 8.77 million yuan (about $1.19 million) in 2024.

In addition, Zhenzhong village in the district has developed itself into an international art village, building a platform for global artists. Shengfeng village has integrated farmer paintings with cultural tourism, drawing tourists, artists, and media professionals from various places while bringing wealth to villagers.