folk art

American  

noun

1. artistic works, as paintings, sculpture, basketry, and utensils, produced typically in cultural isolation by untrained often anonymous artists or by artisans of varying degrees of skill and marked by such attributes as highly decorative design, bright bold colors, flattened perspective, strong forms in simple arrangements, and immediacy of meaning.

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folk art British  

noun

1. the visual arts, music, drama, dance, or literature originating from, or traditional to, the common people of a country

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Other Word Forms

• folkartist
  noun
• folk-art
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of folk art

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

folk art

One of the highlights are the lots containing the Northumberland folk art creations from the Branxton Cement Menagerie.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

People run their fingers over carved reliefs telling the rich story of a neighborhood, culture and creed, reflecting the folk art that has existed in South-Central since forever.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026

The back of the distillery unofficially doubles as one of the city’s great galleries, displaying the owners’ expansive folk art collection from floor to ceiling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

Minhwa is a style of Korean folk art popular during the Chosun era, with the Hojak-do genre specializing in images of tigers, magpies and pine trees.

From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2025

The Vic was amazing, a museumworthy piece of unintentional folk art.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs