What is Folk Art?

Art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring trades people. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily down-to-earth, functional and decorative rather than purely aesthetic. Folk art expresses cultural identity by conveying shared community values and ideas of beauty. It encompasses a range of practical and decorative media, including cloth, wood, paper, clay, metal and more. If traditional materials are inaccessible, new materials are often substituted, resulting in contemporary expressions of traditional folk art forms. Folk art reflects traditional art forms of diverse community groups, ethnic, tribal, religious, occupational, geographical, age or gender based — who identify with each other and society at large.