Sketching the peasants of a new China

Abstract

This thesis explores how artist-educator Wang Shikuo (1911–73) used sketching as a method to understand and represent peasant subjectivity during the Mao era of the People’s Republic of China (1949–76). It will argue that Wang’s sketch of the peasant shows the convergence of the peasant subject, the artist’s subjective perspective of the peasant, and the influence of the Communist Party over how peasants were depicted, in forging a new representation of peasants that shows them as empowered and playing an active role in building an egalitarian society in socialist China. The dissertation illustrates through experiencing life with peasants in villages, Wang came to know the very subject he was going to portray. He then used sketching to unify his understanding of peasants’ inner qualities, which encompasses his or her emotions, thoughts and character, together with his observations of their physiognomies. He paid attention to and drew moments (shunjian) in life that could bring out peasants’ characters and values. All these elements helped him to build an image of the peasant. From utilising sketching as a way to study peasants, Wang used it as a medium to conceptualise the image of the peasant. He formulated representations of peasants that embody characteristic traits and personalities he observed in real life: he called this process summarizing (gaikuo). Aligning with how the Party wanted peasants to be depicted, Wang represented peasants as individuals and as a collective taking on a new and empowered identity in Communist China.