Art from Kunming

[Mickmac]

Hi,

I was lucky enough to visit Kunming in 2006 and while I was there I purchased some paintings from a lady who sold them on the street, not far from the Camellia Hotel.

I have attached a link to one of the paintings to this post.

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb306/Mickmac_photos/Hemp%20and%20Cotton%20fabric/P1050387.jpg

I would like to know more about this style of painting and find a website that sells them online, as I don't think I will have the chance to visit Kunming again for some time.

Does anyone out there know where I can find art like this ?

Hope someone can help,

Michael

[abcdefg]

I don't know off hand, but I'll look around and ask some Kunming friends.

[skylee]

Looks like this type of paintings is called 雲南重彩畫 (Yunnan heavy colour paintings). Take a look ->

http://www.chinesemagic.com/folkart/heavycolor/hc1001.html

http://www.changsha.cn/changsha/scjs/t20031020_36314.htm

http://www.changsha.cn/changsha/scjs/t20031020_36335.htm

http://yunzu.com/category-17-b0-%25B6%25AB%25B0%25CD%25C6%25A4%25BB%25AD.html

http://yunzu.com/category-34-b0.html

[abcdefg]

Looks like you are right, Skylee. I often see stuff like this hanging in restaurants and other public places here in Kunming. The school I attend even has a couple in the lobby.

http://www.tangantiques.com/yunnanpainting.htm

[Mickmac]

Thanks for the response,

I have been looking everywhere and would never had found them without your help.

The link to the Tang Antiques page was especially helpful.

Mickmac

[abcdefg]

I'll paste the descriptive quote here.

Yunnan Heavy-Color Painting is a kind of painting originated from Yunnan, China. It is characterized by a combination of traditional Chinese painting techniques and the more expressive Western art forms. They have created a unique style that does not belong exclusively to the East or the West, but to the world.

It is a quite good art painting because of its lucid and lively colors, emphasis of rhythm and veins. It was invented by a lot of painters in Yunnan, such as Ding Shaoguang in the beginning of 1980s. They painted the bright colors of Western Painting on the shape of Chinese Painting, which made the painting lively and magnificent.

Yunnan Heavy-Color Painting has rich local characteristics; it mainly reflects the natural scenery, customs of minority groups, history and culture in Yunnan. The compatibility of exaggerated and realistic figures and various colors bring us mysterious and abstract impression. So, Yunnan Heavy-Color Painting has strong exotic tropical. It is marriage of ancient art customs, masterful brush strokes, and calligraphic lines, mixed with the starkness and beauty of modernism

That's from the Tang Antique link above.

A local friend said she has seen such paintings for sale in the Bird and Flower Market downtown, but I haven't been there this spring. I've also seen them in Dali and Lijiang, which are main stops on the "Yunnan Tourist Trail."