What is Ah Xian known for?
Ah Xian b. 1960. A painter and sculptor born in China, sought political asylum in Australia from 1990. Known for porcelain, cloisonne and concrete body casts.
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.
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.
When did Ah Xian born?
May 7, 1960 (age 61 years), Beijing, China
Ah Xian/Born
How does Ah Xian make his art?
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 techniques did Ah Xian use?
Ah Xian uses many different techniques and materials, based on ancient Chinese crafts skills, including porcelain, cloisonne, lacquer, jade, ox-bone inlay and bronze as well as concrete. His most recent work is a new body of bronze casts.
Where did Ah Xian go to school?
Soon after, he began to go to Sydney College of the Arts, where he worked on a series of porcelain busts by himself. In 1998 he was awarded a New Work Grant from the Australia Council, which allowed him to work with master ceramists and painters.
How did Del Kathryn Barton become an artist?
She drew obsessively from an early age and lived in her imagination. Her early subjects included fairies, animals, nature, and maps. She also drew the female form, occasionally using her mother to pose for her nude works, other times copying work from published magazines.
When did Ah Xian move to Australia?
1989
Ah Xian was born in Beijing, China, in 1960 and first came to Australia in early 1989 as a visiting scholar at the University of Tasmania’s School of Art. He returned to China just weeks before the student demonstrations that led to violent confrontations at Tiananmen Square in June 1989.
How many times has Del Kathryn Barton won the Archibald Prize?
Del Kathryn Barton has won the Archibald Prize twice – in 2008 with a self-portrait with her two children, and in 2013 with a portrait of Hugo Weaving.
What awards has Del Kathryn Barton won?
AACTA Award for Best Short Animation
Del Kathryn Barton/Awards
What type of artist is Del Kathryn Barton?
Painting
Del Kathryn Barton/Forms
Where did Ah Xian get his name from?
Ah Xian, painter and sculptor, was born Liu Ji Xian in Beijing, China, in 1960. He adopted the name Ah in 1983. Despite both parents holding positions at universities, Xian trained as a mechanical fitter at a technical school and worked in a factory.
What kind of art is Ah Xian known for?
A painter and sculptor born in China, sought political asylum in Australia from 1990. Known for porcelain, cloisonne and concrete body casts. 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).
When did Ah Xian live and work in Australia?
This was followed by his inclusion in the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art’s 1993 exhibition ‘Mao Goes Pop: China Post 1989’ which exhibited his Pervasive spirit series of plaster casts in wooden cases. In 1995 Xian was granted permanent residency in Australia, continuing to live in Sydney.
What did Ah Xian do in Tiananmen Square?
He was involved in violent protests with students and activists in Tiananmen’s Square in June 1989. He then sought political asylum in Australia. Once settled in Australia, Ah Xian changed his practice from painting to sculpture.