Li’s farmer painting: The memory for offspring

Li Shuixian from Yunnan is specialized in drawing farmer paintings. She said that as the urbanization speeds up in China, images of farmers and farm works are becoming blurring memories. She has been drawing farmer paintings for three decades and is willing to teach people who are interested in the art form for free.

Farmer painting is entitled as "the typical art form of Chinese farmers". Its themes cover folktales, landscapes, change of time, flowers, birds, fish and insects from countryside. In a word, it is the reflection to daily rural life.

Children picking pears on a tree, old houses with signs of history, grandpa teaching grandson calligraphy, farmers who are harvesting... Li's paintings are memories from the past and gifts for offsprings.

Li said that farmer painting is a way to recall the past. She told us that "common emotions" exist in these paintings. Now, she is teaching children how to draw farmer paintings at home. She is also willing to teach those who want to learn for free and she can even provide paintbrushes or drawing papers. She hopes more people can learn about the art form and is going to pass it down.

By Zhang Lin from Daguan Weekly, photos by Meng Zhigang and Wang Gang

Editor: John Li