Young artist makes her mark in Xizang

A young artist from Guiyang, Guizhou province, has left an indelible mark on a Tibetan village through her innovative 3D murals.

After graduating in art and design from Guiyang University in 2016, An Nianchu visited the Xizang autonomous region for the first time.

She was deeply attracted by the beautiful scenery of Cha village in the regional capital Lhasa, as well as the kind and warm Tibetan people, and so, started her own creative journey. At first, she painted in places such as guesthouses and restaurants, with her artwork focusing on cultural and humanistic elements related to Tibetan culture.

The inception of her artistic endeavor can be traced back to An's deep-rooted aspiration to use art as a medium to "package" a village.

"I thought that if murals could be painted on Tibetan residential houses in the rural villages to blend harmoniously with the surrounding environment, it would create a beautiful scenic attraction," An said.

Beginning in 2022, alongside her dedicated team, An ushered in a blend of tradition and modernity with her murals that have revitalized the rural landscape and injected a fresh allure into local cultural tourism.

As luck would have it, her path converged with the Beautiful Villages Project spearheaded by the Aid-Xizang project in Lhasa's Dagze district.

She said that Xizang is a magical place, a destination that many people yearn for, and the themes of her creations include Tibetan figures, scenes of Tibetan life, distinctive landscapes, unique wildlife species, medicinal herbs and more, all presented in murals.

Upon commencing the project, An and her collaborators meticulously crafted a sample mural — portraying a young girl tenderly offering Tibetan butter tea — to gauge villagers' reactions at the Cha village.

It resonated profoundly with the locals, setting the stage for what would evolve into a two-month mural project sprawling across 2,000 square meters and on walls of 20 households. "The villagers were very excited when they saw the first sample, and felt that it upgraded their own living conditions so they gladly accepted it," An said.

She said that during the painting process and even after its completion, local residents and tourists would visit specifically to see the artwork. "There were even some famous internet bloggers who came to visit and shared their experiences on social media," she said, adding that it allowed more people to see Cha village.

"Embracing the majestic landscapes and the profound cultural heritage of Xizang, I find inspiration in the warm embrace of the Tibetan people, whose genuine hospitality and cultural richness fueled my creative spirit," she said.

"If there is an opportunity, I hope to create at more villages, allowing more people to experience the diverse and colorful aspects of Xizang."

Contact the writers at palden_nyima@chinadaily.com.cn