Silk Painting

Silk, a luxurious and highly-prized fabric, served as the canvas for this exceptional art form. It all began during the Tang Dynasty in China when artisans started decorating silk fabrics with intricate designs using various techniques. However, it was during the Song Dynasty that silk painting truly flourished, with artists perfecting the craft and developing innovative methods to create vibrant and enduring artworks.

Silk paintings are created on white silk. The dyes are painted onto the stretched surface of the silk using a paintbrush. The dyes flow into the fiber and bond with the proteins, becoming a part of the silk thread. This is different than oil, acrylic, or watercolor paints which sit on the surface of the support. These paintings are steam set, locking the dyes into the fiber and making the color of the painting reasonably light-fast and washable.