Located in the south of the country, the village has more than 8,000 artists who, for a long time, were dedicated to the almost perfect reproduction of well-known paintings. Their pace was such that in the heyday, three out of five paintings sold worldwide came from Dafen.

But after the 2008 financial crisis, their exports began to fall, before the fatal blow in 2020, when China closed its borders because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some artists have thrown in the towel. But many of them have learned to reinvent themselves: no more playing copiers, now they will be painters in their own right, taking advantage of the boom in the art sector in China, the second largest in the world.

Self-taught, Zhao Xiaoyong sold replicas of paintings by Vincent van Gogh for 1,500 yuan (200 euros). Now, his original works sell for up to 50,000 yuan (6,700 euros).

When he came to Dafen in 1997 from his village in central China, he and his family lived and worked with five other people in a tiny two-room apartment.

Self-taught painter Zhao Xiaoyong in front of one of his paintings in Dafen village, on February 19, 2023 in China © GREG BAKER / AFP

"At the time, it was like an assembly line, each artist painted a small part of a painting, like an eye or a nose, before passing it to another painter to draw an arm, a leg or a shirt sleeve," he told AFP.

"Coming out of the shadows"

After years of making copies of masterpieces, Zhao Xiaoyong gathered his savings to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Saint-Paul de Mausole's asylum in Saint-Rémy de Provence (south of France), where the artist painted "The Starry Night".

"I felt that I could finally enter his world instead of just copying his brushstrokes," Zhao said.

Self-taught painter Zhao Xiaoyong among his paintings in the village of Dafen, on February 19, 2023 in China © GREG BAKER / AFP

And "I realized I had to come out of Van Gogh's shadow and bring my thoughts to life."

Now, if he uses the style of the famous master, it is to tell the life of the village: on one of his paintings, he appears carrying a self-portrait of Van Gogh, in a studio where other artists are asleep.

Since the lifting of anti-Covid restrictions at the end of 2022, China seems to be back to normal, and in the streets of Dafen, tourists are back, looking for a picture at a good price.

In an alley, you can find a copy of "The Virgin and Child" by Duccio to... 50 yuan, or 6.70 euros. It is not a painting painted by a local artist - normally sold for 30 yuan more expensive - but an impression to which a final touch is added.

"We give a few brushstrokes on the printed image so that it looks like a real painting," says an artist, on condition of anonymity.

An artist paints a copy of a painting by Vincent Van Gogh in a studio in the village of Dafen, on February 19, 2023 in China © GREG BAKER / AFP

Success guaranteed: "buyers think that the printed background is painted in watercolor". This discourages local artists even more from painting replicas of paintings entirely.

Back to school

In Dafen, Wu Feimin is also looking for his way, with works inspired by Buddhism.

"I used to copy Picasso's work, but now I have my own style," he says, painting a gigantic face of Buddha with a palette knife.

Artist Wu Feimin paints a picture in an alley in Dafen village, on February 19, 2023 in China © GREG BAKER / AFP

"It takes weeks, even months, to finish a painting," he adds. "It's risky, but the margins are better" when selling.

Several artists told AFP they returned to school during the pandemic to learn how to paint mountains or weeping willows, essential ingredients in traditional landscapes of Chinese painting.

"Wealthy Chinese buyers want art that reflects Chinese aesthetics," says Yu Sheng, an art teacher who took the opportunity to relearn the classical style.

He himself continued to export copies of Western works, while creating his own paintings, hoping to have his share in the lucrative Chinese art market or even become a portraitist for wealthy Chinese.

Compared to artists trained in the grandes écoles, he is confident: "Our technique is better, because we paint every day. But we don't have the contacts of art dealers in big cities," he regrets.

An artist paints in a studio in the village of Dafen, on February 19, 2023 in China © GREG BAKER / AFP

So "our survival depends on the recognition of our work by Chinese professionals."

© 2023 AFP