Kashgar folk crafts are rooted in the land of Kashgar, Xinjiang China. With unique production process, distinct theme, ingenious design, exquisite workmanship and profound message, theses crafts not only present the specialty of Kashgar folk art to more people, but also bring artistic edification to the audience. Artists take local materials and make normal stones, reeds and boards into fine artworks, which not only look amazing, but also carry the charm of art to people. Here are several groups of Kashgar folk crafts, including stone painting, erbu painting, weed painting, board painting and pyrograph.

Stone painting

Stone paintings are painted on the stones with different shapes, textures and veins. Artists who are skilled at painting design and make artworks according to the features of stones, paint on the stones with different shapes, textures and veins. Trough the integration of painting skills and features of stones, the origin beauty of stones are preserved and sublimated, and through ingenious design and painting, stones are endowed with life and become vivid.

A Lane of The Ancient City of Kashgar by Kaisar Abdula from Kashgar City, Xinjiang, China.

A High-platform Old Lane by Kaisar Abdula from Kashgar City, Xinjiang, China.

A Family House in the Ancient City of Kashgar by Kaisar Abdula from Kashgar City, Xinjiang, China.

An Old Man by Simirzayit Yidilis from Kashgar City, Xinjiang, China.

A Lion by Simirzayit Yidilis from Kashgar City, Xinjiang, China.

An Old Street by Kaisar Abdula from Kashgar City, Xinjiang, China.

A Dwelling Lane by Kaisar Abdula from Kashgar City, Xinjiang, China.

High-platform Dwellings

Erbu painting

Erbu painting is also known as marbling art or ink counterdrawing. It is a technique of painting that uses processed water filling in a ware, and drip ink or pigments (including oil paint and traditional Chinese paint and ink, etc.) on the water to make a picture, then lay a paper or fabric with water-absorbing capacity on the water to absorb and replicate the picture.

A Lovely Rose by Kurbanjan Rouzi from Kashagr City, Xinjiang, China.

A Flower in A Mirror by Kurbanjan Rouzi form Kashgar City, Xinjiang, China.

Reed painting

Painted on natural reeds and made by hand, reed painting is regarded as “green art of painting”. It is mostly made of the leaves, stems and ears of reeds, and created through more than a dozen procedures including cutting, scalding, sticking and polishing. The whole picture presented is composed of 80 percent of natural color variance of reeds and 20 percent of carbonized reeds through scalding. Reeds are widely distributed in Kashgar Prefecture, and local people use reeds as raw materials to make daily necessities. Reed mat weaving technique in Shache County has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage item of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Looking Back by Yi Yongzheng from Shache County, Kashagr Prefecture, Xinjiang, China.

Camel Team by Yi Yongzheng from Shache County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang, China.

Flower Arranging by Yi Yongzheng from Shache County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang, China.

Shyness by Nurzadam Ahat from Shache County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang, China.

Missing by Nurzadam Ahat from Shache County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang, China.

Board painting

It means painting on boards which can be used as walls, and such artworks can be classified as wall paintings. There is another type can be categorized as board painting though they are painted on wooden slips.

A Lane in The Ancient City of Kashgar by Muhtar Rexit from Jiashi County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang, China.

Pyrograph

Pyrograph is an old craft but also young, as well as a folk traditional decorative craft.

A Daolang Master by Mamataili Adili from Markit County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang, China.

An Old Street by Mamataili Adili from Markit County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang, China.

Camel Herder by Adili Erken from Shache County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang, China.