The Shifting Identities of Ah Xian’s Porcelain Busts

As a Chinese artist working in Australia, Ah Xian is a sculptor whose works combine two very traditional mediums to create pieces that are both contemporary and compelling. Ah Xian voluntarily exiled himself from his native China as a response to the Tianamen Square uprising, and he is often cited as one of the forerunners of the post revolutionary Chinese art movement. His fabulously detailed porcelain busts deal with difficult issues such as shifting cultural identity, tradition and exile, but Ah Xian manages to temper the weight of his subjects through his attention to execution and detail.