User-generated aesthetic narratives: Vernacular Cultural paradigms of daoming bamboo weaving artisans on Xiaohongshu

This article emphasizes the importance of social media as a key domain for the identity construction of artisans, particularly in the narrative of their unique "vernacular" aesthetic styles in user-generated content. By conducting an empirical study of three Daoming bamboo weaving artisans' accounts on Xiaohongshu (RED), we identified several common styles in their promotion of craftwork: vernacular local expression, photos of people with their products, and emphasized background information. These stylistic preferences effectively define local culture and tangible self-identity, telling the story of traditional crafts. The qualitative visual analysis depicts the representation style of local culture. User-generated content typically covers both personal life and professional activities, showcasing broader social and cultural contexts. These findings indicate that despite attempts at professional expression, amateur-style expression remains dominant and carries unique cultural significance.