ARTGOW: How a Band of Rebel Artists Transformed China’s Copycat Village into a Global Art Force
The Spark: Dafen Village’s Hidden Revolution
In 2009, Shenzhen’s Dafen Village was synonymous with one thing: assembly-line art. Thousands of workers replicated Van Goghs and Monets for export, painting 60% of the world’s oil reproductions. But beneath the factory buzz, a quiet rebellion brewed.
Four young artists—Liang, Mei, Zhao, and Tomasz (a Polish expat drawn to China’s creative ferment)—met in a cramped studio. Frustrated by painting only others’ masterpieces, they dreamed of a space where original voices could thrive. Their manifesto was simple:
“We copy to eat. We create to live.”
That spark ignited ARTGOW.
Survival & Solidarity: The Early Days
Starting with $800 pooled from teaching art classes, they rented a leaky attic in Dafen. By day, they painted customer commissions (still replicas); by night, they experimented with bold abstracts and haunting landscapes.
The Turning Point: A monsoonal flood ruined 37 canvases days before a critical delivery. Instead of accepting defeat, the team painted together for 72 hours straight—fueled by jasmine tea and steamed buns—to remake every piece. The client never knew, but the moment forged ARTGOW’s creed:
“Alone we starve. Together we soar.”
Defying the Copycat Curse
While Dafen factories prioritized speed, ARTGOW gambled on slow art:
Hand-stretched Belgian linen canvases
Pigments mixed from raw minerals
Brushstrokes layered over weeks, not hours
Their first original collection, “Whispers of Lingnan” (inspired by Guangdong’s vanishing wetlands), sold out at a 2012 Guangzhou gallery show. One critic wrote:
“These aren’t paintings. They’re rebellions on canvas.”
The Breakthrough: Authenticity Goes Global
In 2016, an American interior designer discovered ARTGOW at a Shanghai art fair. She commissioned 12 custom landscapes for a luxury Hawaiian resort. The project’s success unlocked a revelation:
The world craved soulful art with a story—not just cheap decor.
ARTGOW pivoted:
✅ Empowered 100+ Dafen artists to transition from replication to original work
✅ Launched global e-commerce with virtual studio tours
✅ Pioneered “Art with Roots” — each painting documents its maker’s journey
Today: Crafting Legacies, Stroke by Stroke
From a rain-soaked attic to a collective of 100+ artists across Shenzhen, Beijing and Hangzhou. ARTGOW remains driven by its founding ethos:
Every piece is a conversation between artist and patron
Tradition fuels innovation (e.g., AI-assisted sketches refined by hand)
Art as activism: 5% of profits fund arts education in rural China
“We don’t just sell art. We sell courage.”
— Liang Qiang, ARTGOW Co-Founder
