Cotton Wool Creates Lively Paintings

Cotton-wool painting is a traditional folk craft that dates back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, when artisans began using dyed cotton wool to paste and collage genre scenes.

The raw material—cotton wool—offers a soft texture and good cohesion. After being dyed with reactive dyes, air-dried, and layered, the fibers resist shedding, deformation, fading, and insect damage. Their natural flexibility and malleability also give the works rich texture and a pronounced three-dimensional effect.

Yanta cotton-wool paintings are known for their vivid colors, lifelike forms, and unique craftsmanship. Resembling traditional Chinese paintings, they vividly portray animals and flowers and can also depict complex figures and landscapes.

The greatest charm of cotton-wool painting lies in its sculptural, relief-like three-dimensional effect, which traditional ink painting cannot easily achieve, adding depth and tactile richness to the artwork.