Ah Xian - Artist
Ah Xian
Artist
* Born Beijing, 1960 * Xian is regarded as one of the first contemporary artists of his time both in Australia and overseas * Ah Xian grew up during the cultural revolution in china and was trained as an artist specialising in painting * He came to Australia as a visiting student during the 1980’s at the University of Tasmanias school of art * He returned to china shortly before the violent tianimen square massacre in 1989 * Subsequentto this event, he decided to seek political asylum in Austtralia 1990 * Ah Xian states that “although politics and art both play major roles in human history… art is ever-precious, exploring our peaceful, bright and never-ending imagination”, typifying his involvement in the Art world and as an artist. * While Ah Xian lives in Sydney, he still maintains strong connections to his homeland and family by dividing his time equally between China and Australia.
Conceptual Practice * Xian uses art as a catalyst to voice his opinions about cultural displacement, politics and the political relationship between the east and the west * The themes of cultural and spiritual identity are prominent throughout Xian’s work * Traditional motifs including dragons, landscapes, flowers, lilypads, trees and craggy mountains are also used * Ah Xian believes that artists in China now have more freedom to express themselves as individuals and as active members of a society * His ten year, philosophical journey, as he probed into the world of ceramics in China’s historic centre for fine porcelain, Jingdezhen, led him to seek his own cultural background which had long formed his family’s and his own identity. * . He contrasts his own contemporary porcelain busts; eyes shut and faces without expression, with those of the traditional porcelain designs used on vessels for the Chinese court from the 14th to 19th Century
Material Practice * Using the delicate medium or porcelain,
Artist
* Born Beijing, 1960 * Xian is regarded as one of the first contemporary artists of his time both in Australia and overseas * Ah Xian grew up during the cultural revolution in china and was trained as an artist specialising in painting * He came to Australia as a visiting student during the 1980’s at the University of Tasmanias school of art * He returned to china shortly before the violent tianimen square massacre in 1989 * Subsequentto this event, he decided to seek political asylum in Austtralia 1990 * Ah Xian states that “although politics and art both play major roles in human history… art is ever-precious, exploring our peaceful, bright and never-ending imagination”, typifying his involvement in the Art world and as an artist. * While Ah Xian lives in Sydney, he still maintains strong connections to his homeland and family by dividing his time equally between China and Australia.
Conceptual Practice * Xian uses art as a catalyst to voice his opinions about cultural displacement, politics and the political relationship between the east and the west * The themes of cultural and spiritual identity are prominent throughout Xian’s work * Traditional motifs including dragons, landscapes, flowers, lilypads, trees and craggy mountains are also used * Ah Xian believes that artists in China now have more freedom to express themselves as individuals and as active members of a society * His ten year, philosophical journey, as he probed into the world of ceramics in China’s historic centre for fine porcelain, Jingdezhen, led him to seek his own cultural background which had long formed his family’s and his own identity. * . He contrasts his own contemporary porcelain busts; eyes shut and faces without expression, with those of the traditional porcelain designs used on vessels for the Chinese court from the 14th to 19th Century
Material Practice * Using the delicate medium or porcelain,