How does culture affect an artist's artwork?

Culture affects an artist's work by shaping the worldview of the artist and associations they may have with color, shapes, patterns, symbols, people, places, and things. Each culture has its own unique history and way of understanding the world. For an artist, this means that the message they try to convey in their artwork is done so through their own cultural language of symbolism.

Religious art is a great example for discussing how culture can...

Culture affects an artist's work by shaping the worldview of the artist and associations they may have with color, shapes, patterns, symbols, people, places, and things. Each culture has its own unique history and way of understanding the world. For an artist, this means that the message they try to convey in their artwork is done so through their own cultural language of symbolism.

Religious art is a great example for discussing how culture can shape the content of an artist's work. Consider the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michaelangelo. Part of the ceiling has a mural of God and man, and it is one of the most famous works of art in the world. This is a piece of European Christian art, so it is shaped by the values of Christian Europeans during the Renaissance. Throughout the history of Christian art, popular subjects have included the figures of God, Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. In comparison, in Islamic art you will never see a depiction of God or the Prophet Muhammed. This is because God is described in Islam as having no physical appearance, only the most beautiful features. To try and depict God in art would be to ascribe the artist's personal preferences upon God, and this is considered selfish or vain. There are no depictions of the Prophet for the same reason.

We can also consider more specific components of a work of art like the use of color, shape, and line. Different colors, shapes, and patterns are suggestive of feelings, values, people, places, things, and actions. For example, in the United States the color red may be associated with romantic love. In comparison, green is suggestive of love in Hinduism. Below I have shared a link to a handy chart which tells the associated meanings of colors in several different cultures. 

Depending on the culture an artist comes from, their choice of material or medium for their work may be limited. Some tools or materials are not always available in parts of the world, or they may not be preferred for other reasons. Other cultural values may influence an artist's attitude towards certain kinds of art and whether or not the medium is worthwhile. Leatherworking to create clothing, bags, or jewelry is generally considered an acceptable, worthwhile art form in the Western world. But for many Buddhist nations, working with leather is undesirable because it is made from the flesh of dead animals.