DISPLAYS of Chinese woodcut New Year’s paintings have been donated by China for permanent display at the Durban Art Gallery (DAG). Titled The Folk Custom of Shandong, the exhibition portrays paintings that came from a museum in Quindao (a coastal city that is the heart of the Shandong Province in China).
According to the Cultural China website, it is said that New Year paintings are a unique form in Chinese folk culture. They are referred to as “New Year paintings” because they are mostly posted during the New Year holiday for decoration and also seen as a symbol of New Year’s greetings.
The decorative paintings mostly feature joyous subjects. Simple lines, bright colors and a happy atmosphere are combined to define these paintings, which capture jubilant festive customs and life details as well as anecdotes, stories from traditional opera novels and folktales. The creation of New Year paintings are closely linked with people’s daily lives and have strong local features.
Tonight chatted to the curator of the exhibition, Thulani Makhaye, about the significance of the works.
“This came about through the eThekwini municipal of International Relations and Governance as part of the Chinese Year in Africa. There is also the collection of hand-coloured wood block prints as part of the Shandong-eThekwini partnerships.”
A press release states that the artworks display scenes of the different traditional Chinese gods, folk characters and sacred animals through bright colour use. They belong to a very old custom used by folk artists and are meant to invoke good luck during the Chinese New Year while representing the feelings of justice, honesty and diligence that are core to the people of Quindao.
“The artworks are about starting a new year on a good note with blessings of plenty and the ability to understand and share common sympathies with fellow men,” Makhaye adds.
Commenting on the partnership between the Chinese and South Africans with regards to art, Makhaye reveals: There are possible proposals to have local artists travel to Shangdong. However, I am not sure if there will be artworks that will be donated to the city of Qingdao.”
l Durban Art Gallery, Gallery Foyer, City Hall, Anton Lembede St. Free. Call 031 3112264/9