On December 6, the fourth "Gathering Here" Contemporary Art Invitational Exhibition and the "Art in Siyi" Rural Art Season kicked off at the Siyi Art Space in Siyi Village, Xindu District, Chengdu. Surprisingly, the exhibited works—oil paintings, sculptures, prints, and multimedia installations—were all created by the village's "new residents," a group of young artists from across China, most of whom are post-90s and post-00s generations.
"The diversity, contemporary relevance, and innovative techniques showcased here reflect high artistic standards. These artists also share creative commonalities, potentially heralding a new artistic movement or school," remarked Ma Yiping, Honorary Dean of the Chengdu Academy of Fine Arts at Sichuan Conservatory of Music, during the exhibition.
According to Liu Jiayu, Party Secretary of Siyi Village, over 70 young artists have settled in the village, forming a "Painter Tribe" primarily composed of graduates from the Chengdu Academy of Fine Arts.
**An Ecological Haven for Artists** Located less than 2 kilometers from the Xindu campus of Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Siyi Village blends rural charm with artistic flair. Lush fields dotted with flowers and vegetables coexist with murals adorning whitewashed walls.
Li Ming, born in 1990 in Daqing, Heilongjiang, was the first artist to move here. After enrolling at the Chengdu Academy in 2008, he frequented Siyi Village for sketching. "The woods, rivers, lakes, and traditional Sichuan-style houses captivated me," Li recalled. In 2012, he rented an unused house from local villager Ding Fuhui ("Aunt Ding San") to establish his studio.
"The environment here fuels creativity," said Wei Shulong, a 32-year-old oil painter from Northeast China who relocated in 2022. His works have been featured in provincial exhibitions and collected by institutions. Fu Yibing, a leading post-85s oil painter, also embraced the village's tranquility, leasing a farmhouse as his studio in 2023.
Today, over 40 studios occupy nearly 60,000 square meters of repurposed rural homes and abandoned factories. "These young artists have revitalized idle spaces," Liu noted.
**New Residents, New Vitality** At the exhibition's opening, six artists—Zhang Hanwen, Luo Linqiu, Luo Shipeng, Zhu Xiaodan, Mao Haibo, and Zhang Na—were officially welcomed as "new villagers." Their certificates included the *Siyi Art Covenant*, outlining commitments to heritage preservation, ecological stewardship, and cultural collaboration.
"By becoming villagers, these artists embrace a mission to 'illuminate rural life through art and empower development through culture,'" said Wei Yan, head of the Oil Painting Department at Chengdu Academy, during his speech.
On April 26, Siyi Village launched a youth arts education project themed "Farming, Reading, and Artistic Heritage." Children, guided by resident artists like Huang Yunfei (a council member of the China Artists Association), explored sketching and freehand ink painting.
In September, artists and villagers collaborated on a "Harvest Murals" project, transforming blank walls into an open-air gallery that beautified the village. "Art used to feel distant, but now artists live among us. They’ve boosted incomes and revitalized our community," shared villager Zhang Ya.
Eight-year-old grandson of "Aunt Ding San" now studies oil painting under Li Ming, joining over 100 local children in art classes. Liu Jiayu observed that as art and rural life intertwine, fewer villagers idle with cards, while more embrace learning and creativity—a testament to culture-driven rural revitalization.
**Can Art Spur Integrated Cultural-Tourism Growth?** A new artistic signage system now enhances the village’s nightscape. Plans include installing container-based art hubs near the Pihe Night Market and village entrances, repurposing old factories into public art spaces, and establishing a youth arts education base.
"We’re expanding cultural industries like handicrafts, homestays, and art education," Liu said. Events like the "Art in Siyi, Colorful Xindu" festival this year aim to fuse culture, commerce, and tourism.
Driven by the Painter Tribe, Siyi Village has cultivated diverse "consumption scenes," accelerating rural cultural tourism. Over a dozen eco-restaurants (e.g., Red House, Muddy Ground, Peaceful Fish) now thrive, while two research bases—Moon Stream and Fragrant Woods—attract 40,000 visitors annually, generating over 3 million yuan in revenue.
*(Images provided by interviewees.)*
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