The lens of Zhang Xiao, the lead artist of the solo exhibition “Zhang Xiao The Mortal Immortals” has captured stone-carved deities in Sichuan grottoes undergoing a process locals call “Wearing New Clothes.” This refers to the spontaneous act of repainting Buddhist statues by the local community. Unlike the refined techniques of ancient artisans, this practice stems from the kindness or pious vows of villagers. They hire folk painters to refurbish these familiar deities according to their own aesthetic standards, or even purchase paint to do the work themselves.
In November 2023, a sensational event known as the “Shifeihe Incident” occurred. A newly discovered cliff carving in Nanjiang County, dating back over 1,400 years to the late Northern Wei Dynasty, was “disfigured” with paint by local believers as an act of “fulfilling a vow.” Located in Bazhong, the Shifeihe cliff carvings were discovered in 2021 and had not yet been officially designated as a protected cultural heritage site at the time of the incident.
On the evening of November 13, 2023, a netizen posted on Weibo that the Shifeihe carvings had been “made up” with colorful paint. The news went viral almost instantly, drawing widespread coverage from domestic and international media. Subsequent official reports confirmed the incident took place on November 6, when a local villager used paint to “clothe the statues” as part of a religious vow, resulting in their “disfigurement.”
For this special program, we have invited artist Zhang Xiao and @Notes on Bashu Cultural Geography to discuss the Sichuan grotto carvings and explore the varying attitudes and interpretations regarding these spontaneous acts of painting and refurbishing by the public.
*Zhang Xiao The Mortal Immortals – Exhibition Public Education Program
