AC K N OW L E D G M E N T
This exhibit of Chinese peasant folk art comes to the Southern Alleghenies Museum of
Art eighteen years after it opened at the Beijing Art Museum in 1995. This is the first
showing of these enchanting works in the United States. Given this year’s Gala theme,
Asian Fusion, and SAMA’s Monuments & Masterpieces trip to China, this exhibition nicely
complements activities at the Museum.
Typically, Chinese peasant folk art is created by Chinese farmers or peasant artists. These
works tend to focus on everyday life in rural China and/or legendary subjects. Farm
work, farm animals, village customs, festivals, deities, warriors, and children are common
themes.
Stories Joyfully Embroidered: Shaanxi
Folk Textiles from Northern China
This is a large and colorful textiles exhibition from the Shaanxi Province in northern
China. Chinese style and imagination are reflected in this exhibition, which is presented
in grand fashion. The fabrics are primitive in style but brilliantly decorated. The cut-out
appliqués are childlike figures presented in vivid colors and exaggerated forms. In many
of the pieces, I think you see the influence of Chinese paper-cutting art. In my opinion,
this is a fun exhibit that should appeal to young and old alike.
A number of the works feature ancient stories of legendary figures. The stories
themselves are tribal in nature and date back thousands of years. Warriors, emperors
and gods are depicted in tales of family, honor and magic.
YanYan Gao, Lovesick, 1994
Many believe the symbols represented in these works of art have mystical powers. The
Chinese concept of feng shui has at its core that believing in these symbols translates to
good things for the believer.
One such story depicted in the folk art on display is that of the magic three-legged golden toad. According to legend, a modest man named
Liu Hai visited a well where a greedy three-legged toad dwelled. Liu Hai decided to teach the greedy toad a lesson and he quickly set about
his plan. Using his belt, Liu Hai attached a gold coin and lowered it into the well. Given the toad’s greedy nature once he caught the gold
coin in his mouth, the toad wouldn’t let it go and Liu Hai captured the toad. Now that he had the toad, Liu Hai could command it to do
his bidding and he commanded the creature to stop being so nasty and greedy. The toad had to obey and henceforth helped people by
spitting gold coins for them.
SAMA is, indeed, pleased and honored to offer this premier exhibition to its Museum constituents. Visitors will enjoy the burst of color,
whimsical subject matter and sheer size of the Chinese peasant folk art exhibition.
I thank the lender, Youjia L. Xin, for allowing SAMA to participate in this unveiling of the Chinese peasant folk art exhibition to the American
public. I offer a “tip of the hat” to Michael Strueber, SAMA Director Emeritus, for discovering this treasured exhibition. I appreciate the
work of Dr. Scott Dimond in curating the show and the efforts of the Museum staff to hang and light the exhibit. I extend a special thank
you to Dr. Jennifer Rudolph, Barb O’Brien, Glenda Forosisky, Joan Strueber and Anqi Liu for their help on key aspects of the exhibit.
G. Gary Moyer
Executive Director
ShanYun Feng, Night, 1993
About Shaanxi Province
Shaanxi Province in northern China is one of the
birthplaces of Chinese civilization. Its principal city, Xi’an,
was a terminus of the ancient Silk Road. Not far from
there, one may view the famous army of terra cotta
soldiers that was buried with China’s first emperor in the
late third century B.C. Today Shaanxi is a prosperous
region in which traditional agriculture and new industries
exist side by side. The province is also home to several
important universities and is a major hub of China’s
aerospace sector. The arts in Shaanxi play a significant
role as well, and Shaanxi buduihua was recognized on the
national level when this collection was first shown in 1995
in the National Art Museum of China in Beijing.
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
Benzel’s Bretzel Bakery
Mr. and Mrs. William Benzel
The Donald & Sylvia Robinson Family Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Harry McCreary
Mrs. Dorothea Nelson
Rev. Sean M. Sullivan, T.O.R.
Mrs. Mary Weidlein
MUSEUM ASSOCIATES
Conemaugh Health System
Franciscan Friars, T.O.R.
Mrs. Shari Polacek
EDUCATION SPONSORS
C&G Savings Bank
Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation
Hon. and Mrs. Timothy Creany
Davis Vision
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Devorris
Mr. and Mrs. John K. Duggan, Jr.
Harold & Betty Cottle Family Foundation
Highmark, Inc.
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
Mrs. Shirley Pechter
EXHIBITION SPONSORS
Dr. and Mrs. Magdi Azer
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Sheetz
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Wolf
Terra Cotta Soldier
Editors:
Travis Mearns
Bobby Moore
Printer:
Advanced Color Graphics
Catalogue Design:
Color Scan LLC
© 2013 Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art
This catalogue is published by the
Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art
Post Office Box Nine
Loretto, PA 15940
(814) 472-3920
Hours:
Tuesday through Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturdays: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Admission is free
Cover:
ZiLan Wang, Chicken-Grabbing Baby, 1994
Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Loretto
June 28, 2013 - October 12, 2013
C ATA L O G U E
Curator’s Statement
In the United States, we think of folk art as being easily approachable.
Folk art speaks in plain language and we can readily grasp its meaning,
whether couched in rough humor or sincere religious devotion. We
are charmed by its earnest and often exuberant expression. Its
homemade character appeals as well, and most of us can identify with
such humble objects as a patchwork quilt or a lovingly carved cane.
This is art made by ordinary people and it addresses us with an easy
familiarity that is usually lacking in the rarefied circles of the museum
and gallery world.
Chinese folk art is also a friendly art, made by the people for the
people. Yet its sources are far older and at the same time far more
intact than those that inform western folk art. At most, American folk
themes span only a few centuries. The earliest traditions of folk
expression in Western Europe go back perhaps two millennia and
preserve only faint traces of pre-Christian paganism. Chinese folk art,
however, is abundantly rich in themes that stretch back to the nation’s
origins in prehistory. In China, Neolithic tribal customs and legends
persist almost unchanged, prompting at least one Chinese scholar,
Professor ZhiLin Jin of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, to
refer to his country’s folk art as a “living fossil.”
With its unbroken connection to an ancient mindset, Chinese Folk art
may seem alien to Western eyes. However, its bright colors, dancing
figures, and smiling faces transcend both time and culture. We may
not understand its precise meaning, but we are drawn to the joy it
expresses.
Many of the motifs in traditional buduihua refer to mankind’s
fundamental wish to live well and achieve immortality. This timeless
desire is common to all humanity, but in China it has been extensively
articulated over the course of seven or eight thousand years. Good
fortune, longevity, and many children are the core ideas, and they take
their form in numerous ways.
Known as Buduihua, the appliquéd and embroidered textiles in this
exhibition originate in Shaanxi Province in northern China. Buduihua
textiles are usually made by farm women, who pass their skills down
from one generation to the next. Although the art has existed for
centuries, it is only in recent years that individual artisans have been
widely recognized for their work. Today, traditional buduihua is
exemplified in the work of an “older generation” that includes
FengLian Gao, RongLan Liu, and ZiLan Wang. Among women of the
second generation there are innovations and stylistic departures, as
expressed in the work of LiPing Gao and RuLin Guo. A third generation
includes even younger artisans such as Mei Fa, the granddaughter of
FengLian Gao, who along with others continues to push buduihua into
new territory as a recognized art form.
As with western quilting and embroidery, buduihua textiles are valued
for their workmanship and skillful deployment of materials. There are
approximately 100 designs that make up the traditional buduihua
repertory, which is mainly drawn from ancient legends and folk tales.
Newer designs, which are typically favored by the younger
generations, often feature scenes and subjects taken from everyday
life. In most cases, regardless of artist or subject, the composition is
lively, colorful, and rich in symbolic meaning.
Although Chinese culture has been remarkably stable for millennia,
the technology-fueled globalism of the last few decades has had a
great impact. China has now assumed the status of modern
superpower whose influence is felt economically, politically, and
culturally. Long cherished dreams of prosperity are becoming realized
for the Chinese people, yet at the same time, such dramatic change
also brings with it the dangers of cultural erosion. Buduihua and folk
art in general, whether Chinese or Western, thus plays an important
role in preserving national character. As cheerful and unassuming as
it is, it stoutly upholds its makers’ collective sense of Self. It is the
material expression of the people’s heart and soul.
V. Scott Dimond
April 2013
The author wishes to thank Mr. Anqi Liu for his invaluable assistance
in identifying the subjects and meanings of many of the works in this
exhibition.
References
Jin ZhiLin (Zhilin Jin), Chinese Folk Arts (New York: Cambridge
University Press, 2011)
Yanchuan County Culture Museum, “Basic Information of Yanchuan
Buduihua,”
http://www.snwh.gov.cn/feiwuzhi/sjep/mjms/10/200912/t20091209
_8495.htm Translation courtesy of Jennifer Rudolph, Ph.D.
Sky-Sweep Daughter-in-Law, 1993
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
54” x 31 1/2”
ZiLan Wang
Bird-Watching Senior Man, 1993
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
78 1/2” x 33”
Unknown
Untitled (Frieze of Figures), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 31” x 119 1/4”
Unknown
Untitled (United Nations Fourth World
Conference on Women), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 61 1/2” x 193”
Images of animals are prevalent in buduihua as well. Legendary
creatures such as dragons and phoenixes have their origins in tribal
totems that protected the community and insured its survival. The
pairing of male and female animals, whether mythical or actual,
expresses the desire for continued existence through reproduction,
while certain creatures such as fish and frogs are esteemed for their
ability to produce impressive numbers of offspring.
Buduihua subjects that are drawn from everyday life tend to echo the
same basic ideas about life and immortality. Temporal prosperity is
expressed in the common theme of a son receiving an official
promotion. The prosaic image of children feeding pigs suggests male
generative power, as the pig is symbolic of virility. Depictions of
weddings, a new daughter-in-law, and happy babies all reinforce the
core values of extending the family line to the next generation and
into perpetuity.
ShiLian Lang, Smoking, 1994
Unknown
Untitled (Five Figures), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on wool and synthetic
fabric, 47 1/2” x 96 1/4”
Perhaps the most straightforward buduihua images are those of deity
figures and early culture heroes such as Huang Di, the Yellow Emperor.
Iconic images of ancient gods are easy to understand once the viewer
knows their purpose. In this exhibition, there are depictions of gods
who govern luck and prosperity as well as a goddess who insures that
mothers will bear strong male children. Widely revered, Huang Di is
a kind of race-father, a progenitor of the Chinese people. Although
he is not a god, he is a powerful figure whose many descendants
represent the fulfillment of the human desire for immortality.
Depictions of plants encompass similar ideas. The mythical Tree of
Life represents immortality and the eternal connection between
heaven and earth. Allied motifs such as the “Money-Shaking Tree” or
“Tree That Drops Coins” denote prosperity and good fortune. The
lotus, which came into China with the spread of Buddhism, was readily
adopted as an alternate type of the Tree of Life: with its roots in mud,
its stems in water, and its blossoms in the air, it embodies the
interconnectedness of all the elements. At the same time, its many
seeds refer to fertility and abundance. Other plants, notably gourds,
pumpkins, and grapes, are likewise symbolic of many children and
continued existence through procreation.
JinMei Wang
Mountain God, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
45 1/2” x 34 1/4”
Unknown
Untitled (Festival Scene), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 31 1/2” x 203 1/2”
Chicken-Grabbing Baby, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
38 3/4” x 30 1/4”
Fortune God or Money God, 1990
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
57 3/4” x 33”
Unknown
Untitled (Legendary Figure with Attendants),
n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 82 1/2” x 158 1/2”
CuiLan Feng, Feeding Pig[s], 1994
CuiLan Feng
Feeding Pig[s], 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 31” x 36”
Liu Hai Playing with the Golden Toad, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
40 3/8” x 28 7/8”
ShanYun Feng
Night, 1993
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
33 3/4” x 25 1/2”
LiPing Gao
Happiness God, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
48 1/2” x 33 3/8”
XiuZheng Gao
Fortune God or Money God, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 59 3/4” x 32”
The Goddess Who Sends Male Children,
1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 60” x 31 1/2”
Money-Shaking Tree, 1993
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 33” x 29”
Painting of Huangdi or Yellow Emperor,
1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 60 1/4” x 34”
White Dog Becoming Aware of People’s
Motives, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 81 1/4” x 33”
YanYan Gao
Lovesick, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
26 5/8” x 18 5/8”
Nuwa Creating People, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
53” x 32 1/2”
Unknown
Untitled (Legendary Subject), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 88 3/4” x 31”
ShiLian Lang
Guardian God of the Gate, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
51 3/4” x 34 1/4”
Smoking, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
30 1/4” x 39”
RongLan Liu
Dragon King, 1993
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
63 1/4” x 32”
Guang Di, 1986
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
55” x 34”
ChunLian Yuan
Eight Saints Crossing the Sea, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
30 3/4” x 104”
Unknown
Untitled (Legendary Subject), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 88 3/4” x 31”
Unknown
Untitled (Legendary Subject), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 88 3/4” x 31”
New Daughter-in-Law, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
47 1/4” x 29 1/2”
Unknown
Untitled (Legendary Subject), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 88 3/4” x 31”
All works are Collection of Youjia L. Xin
CuiLan Feng, Liu Hai Playing with the Golden Toad, 1994
XiaoYan Liu
Promotion in Days, 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
50 1/2” x 31 3/8”
Unknown
Untitled (Dancers and Musician),
n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
32 1/4” x 57”
Unknown
Untitled (Legendary Subject), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 88 3/4” x 31”
Unknown
Untitled (Ruler or Military Figure), 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 44 1/2” x 35”
Unknown
Untitled (Legendary Subject), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 88 3/4” x 31”
Unknown
Untitled (Two Figures with Birds), n.d.,
c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
33 1/4” x 32 3/4”
Unknown
Untitled (Legendary Subject), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 88 3/4” x 31”
Unknown
Untitled (Deity Figure), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
53 1/2” x 34”
Unknown
Untitled (Festival Scene),
n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
31 1/2” x 203 1/2”
CuiZheng Yang
Ox Head Days, 1993
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton,
46 1/2” x 33”
Unknown
Untitled (Legendary Subject), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 88 3/4” x 31”
XiuZheng Gao, Money-Shaking Tree, 1993
Unknown
Untitled (Two Figures), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 52” x 43 1/2”
Unknown
Untitled (Legendary Subject), n.d., c. 1994
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 88 1/4” x 30 3/4” Unknown
Untitled (Two Figures with Fishbowl),
Unknown
n.d., c. 1994
Untitled (Rosette with Eight Figures), n.d.,
Hand-cut
appliqué on cotton,
c. 1994
1/4” x 35”
50
1
Hand-cut appliqué on cotton, 33 /2” x 33”
Unknown, Untitled (Two Figures with Birds),
n.d., c. 1994