Why did Ah Xian leave China?
In 1990 Ah Xian fled China for political asylum in Australia and eight years working as a house painter in Sydney and part-time artist. “The idea for the figurative porcelain pieces came to me in 1994. I was in the Mao Goes Pop exhibition at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art in 1993.
Why does Ah Xian make his sculptures?
By 1994, wanting to continue working with body casts but finding plaster cheap and unappealing, Ah Xian thought of turning to porcelain. He began to read books and collect information and by 1990-97 was experimenting, making crude porcelain sculptures from plaster casts of his left hand.
What is Ah Xian known for?
Ah Xian works with a diverse range of materials including concrete, resin-fibreglass, cloisonné, jade and Ox-bone inlay, bronze, porcelain and latex in the creation of his sculptures. Xian’s practice maintains an ongoing and unrestricted exploration of the human form as a cultural, historical and reflective entity.
Why did Ah Xian move to Australia?
In 1989, Xian travelled to Australia for a visiting scholar placement at the University of Tasmania’s Tasmanian School of Art. In Sydney, Xian supported himself and his family working in a T-shirt factory and as a house painter between 1990 and 1998 and during this period he continued to draw and paint.
Who influenced Ah Xian?
“China, China”, 1999 Ah Xian had travelled to Jingdezhen, China and this is where the inspiration for this exhibition originated. The artist was also influenced by his own journey – one that combined his own culture and the ideas of the Western world.
What school did Ah Xian go to?
Soon after, he began to go to Sydney College of the Arts, where he worked on a series of porcelain busts by himself.
Who inspired Ah Xian?
Ah Xian had travelled to Jingdezhen, China and this is where the inspiration for this exhibition originated. The artist was also influenced by his own journey – one that combined his own culture and the ideas of the Western world.
When was bust 81 made?
2004
China, China – Bust 81, 2004 This porcelain bust is the eighty-first in a series by Ah Xian, a Chinese-born artist who migrated to Australia in the late 1980s.
Where does Xian cast his ceramics?
“China, China”, 1999 The China, China series consists of a group of vibrantly coloured porcelain busts and a few pairs of legs. It was imagined and cast by Ah Xian. The pieces were then created in kilns at Jingdezhen and hand-painted under his watch by local workers.
Who was Ah Xian inspired by?
How old is Ah Xian the artist?
Xian was the recipient of the National Gallery of Australia’s inaugural National Sculpture Prize (2001) and the National Gallery of Victoria’s Clemenger Contemporary Art Award (2009). Biography (827 words) Ah Xian, painter and sculptor, was born Liu Ji Xian in Beijing, China, in 1960. He adopted the name Ah in 1983.
What materials does Ah Xian use in his work?
Ah Xian works with a diverse range of materials including concrete, resin-fibreglass, cloisonné, jade and Ox-bone inlay, bronze, porcelain and latex in the creation of his sculptures. Xian’s practice maintains an ongoing and unrestricted exploration of the human form as a cultural, historical and reflective entity.
What is the meaning of Ah Xian Metaphysica?
‘Ah Xian: Metaphysica’ features bronze busts from an ongoing series by Chinese–Australian artist Ah Xian. Cast from life in a lengthy process, each figure in ‘Metaphysica’ is subtly different in patina and expression.
What is Ah Xian’s Concrete Forest?
It worked as a vehicle of Ah Xian’s trope and resulted in Concrete Forest, a suite of 36 busts which won the 2009 Clemenger Contemporary Art Award, with their surfaces imprinted with the leaves of plant species such as maple, lotus and Chinese weeping willow, reflecting the artist’s concern for the environment.