A case study of Tian Yali and the contemporary revival of Chinese folk art

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of Chinese folk artist Tian Yali, whose paper-cutting artworks reflect broader cultural and artistic transformations in contemporary China. Since the 1980s, stimulated by the attention paid to folk art by art intellectuals, the legitimacy of paper-cutting, once associated with rural superstitions and feudal norms, has steadily increased and it is now recognised as a legitimated art form. Through a detailed case study of Tian Yali’s artistic journey, from a rural practitioner to a celebrated contemporary folk artist, it examines how the visual narration within her artworks serve as a medium for identity construction. We analysed her visual narration and integrating insights from in-depth interviews, this article addresses the research question: how do Tian Yali integrate local folk stories into her artworks to construct the identity as folk artist and contribute to the evolution of folk art in contemporary China? We argue that the visual narration within paper-cutting artworks function as a mechanism for constructing the identity of folk artists, where creativity serving as a significant means of reorienting this identity.

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