ASIA SOCIETY CELEBRATES CHINESE CERAMICS WITH CONTEMPORARY AND TRADITIONAL EXHIBITIONS

CHINA REFIGURED: THE ART OF AH XIAN

FROM COURT TO CARAVAN: CHINESE TOMB SCULPTURES FROM THE COLLECTION OF ANTHONY M. SOLOMON

OCTOBER 8, 2002 THROUGH FEBRUARY 9, 2003
EXTENDED to February 16th

This fall, the Asia Society and Museum celebrates the richness and breadth of ceramics innovation in China with two major exhibitions. China Refigured: The Art of Ah Xian marks the U.S. debut of an award-winning Chinese artist who creates exquisitely crafted and vividly decorated busts that are contemporary in expression while recalling a classic Chinese artistic tradition. From Court to Caravan: Chinese Tomb Sculptures from the Collection of Anthony M. Solomon highlights one of the richest traditions of ceramic sculpture in the ancient world through a display of funerary sculptures from the Han (206 BCE to CE 220) through Tang (618-906) period.

According to Vishakha N. Desai, Senior Vice President of the Asia Society and Director of the Museum and Cultural Programs, "These two major exhibitions on Chinese ceramics provide a window on the vast lexicon of traditional Chinese ceramics, while at the same time offering an opportunity to appreciate the continued influence of a classical artistic tradition on one of the most original artists working with porcelain today."

China Refigured: The Art of Ah Xian, mainly comprises individually cast, life-size portrait busts-in porcelain, lacquer and cloisonné-created from 1998 to 2002. The busts are modeled from plaster casts of real-life figures, mostly of the artist's friends and family. The sculptures are emblazoned with brilliant floral patterns, traditional landscapes, imperial dragons and other traditional Chinese motifs. The rich, opulent decoration contrasts with and adds an undercurrent of tension to the calm expressiveness of the figures. China Refigured will showcase 37 of the artist's most imaginative works alongside a selection of Chinese porcelain from the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection of Asian Art, the permanent collection of the Asia Society and Museum, as a way of suggesting connections to the historic artistic tradition that informs Ah Xian's work.

Born in Beijing in 1960, Ah Xian is part of the post-Cultural Revolution generation of Chinese artists. He emigrated to Sydney, Australia, in 1990, in the wake of the political upheaval in China following the June 4th movement at Tiananmen Square in 1989. During this period, he began experimenting with sculptural casts and, driven by a growing fascination with this medium, he eventually turned his interest to working with porcelain. He returned to China in 1998 to undertake an extensive residency in Jingdezhen (Jiangzi province), China's historic center of porcelain production, where he collaborated with local ceramicists and artisans who use centuries-old techniques of painting on porcelain. Most of the works in China Refigured were created in collaboration with these artisans and painted with adaptations of traditional Chinese patterns, mainly derived from designs made for the imperial court in the Ming (1364-1643) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Other, more recent works have utilized lacquer, bone carving and cloisonné recalling the craft tradition in China.

"Ah Xian's unique works suggest an East-West cultural dialogue, combining the European sculptural form of the figure with traditional Chinese motifs that have flourished since the fourteenth century," says exhibition curator Melissa Chiu, Curator of Contemporary Art, Asia Society. "Through his art, Ah Xian explores the issues of cultural heritage and, in particular, his own sense of 'Chineseness.' It is only while living as an expatriate in Australia, at a distance from China, that he has been able to conceive this work."

The artist himself describes this creative tension by asking, rhetorically, "How can an artist brought up in a Chinese cultural context retain [these] values and traditions while at the same time enter into a contemporary world dominated by the language and values of the West?" As a way of exploring this question, and to make technical and philosophical connections between Ah Xian's art and traditional Chinese porcelain design, his works will be shown alongside a selection of Chinese porcelain and lacquer from the Rockefeller collection.

Most of the 20 Rockefeller collection pieces selected for inclusion in China Refigured were also created in China's Jingdezhen region. The stunning pieces-including several Yüan (1279-1368), Ming and Qing dynasty pieces-are decorated with similar designs found in Ah Xian's work. For example, motifs such as dragons, fish, flowers and the "three friends of winter" (the pine, the plum and bamboo) that were popularized during the 14th century are found on both the Rockefeller collection pieces and Ah Xian's sculptural busts.

Ah Xian, who currently resides in Sydney, is a recent recipient of Australia's prestigious National Sculpture Prize at the National Gallery of Australia. His work has been shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, and the Museum fur Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt. This is the first time his work is being shown in the United States.

China Refigured: The Art of Ah Xian is made possible with generous support from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, The Boeing Company, the Gordon Darling Foundation, and Sherman Galleries. This project is also assisted by the Australia Council, the Commonwealth Government's arts funding and advisory body, though its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Board, Audience and Market Development Division and Visual Arts/Craft Board.

From Court to Caravan: Chinese Tomb Sculptures from the Collection of Anthony M. Solomon

A specific genre of ceramic sculpture, which constitutes an innovative and distinctive strand in Chinese art, is highlighted in From Court to Caravan: Chinese Tomb Sculptures from the Collection of Anthony M. Solomon. This exhibition comprises of approximately 40 ceramic sculptures from the Han (206 BCE to CE 220) through Tang (618-906) period. During this time, Chinese ceramic sculpture achieved a level of realism, vitality and sophistication unrivalled by any other ceramic tradition of the ancient world. Made expressly for burial, these earthenware sculptures-many of horses and guardian figures-were prestige objects placed in tombs to protect and to serve the spirit of the deceased. Drawing on one of the finest private collections in America, From Court to Caravan explores the mastery of form and line embodied in these remarkable sculptures.

The Solomon collection is notable for its large number of pieces from the 6th century, a time of intense artistic ferment. As the tomb-sculpture tradition evolved, styles became more naturalistic and the range of subject matter broadened. Although images of humans and horses predominate in all periods, the later tradition also includes representations of camels and dogs. The camels and numerous non-Chinese individuals represented amongst the sculptures from the Northern Wei (386-534), Northern Qi (550-577), Sui (581-618) and Tang periods recall the wealth of luxury goods and the numerous foreign influences that reached China via the Silk Route during the 6th, 7th and 8th centuries.

The exhibition title, From Court to Caravan, reflects the broad array of subjects and influences-from courtly to humble to foreign-that informed Chinese tomb sculpture tradition during this time. Organized by the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, the exhibition will allow for further exploration of the Chinese sculptor's art. From Court to Caravan is curated by Robert D. Mowry, Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art at the Harvard University Art Museums.

Also on view concurrently at the Asia Society and Museum is The Native Born: Contemporary Aboriginal Art from Ramingining, Australia (September 17, 2002 - January 5, 2003). Organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, Australia, the exhibition features close to 200 works, including bark paintings, weavings and wood sculptures. Both The Native Born and China Refigured exhibitions are part of the Society's larger Australia OutFront 2002 initiative, which highlights Australia's integral role in Asia, its importance to the global economy and its unique relationship with the United States.

About the Asia Society
The Asia Society is America's leading institution dedicated to fostering understanding of Asia and communication between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific. A nonprofit, nonpartisan educational institution, the Asia Society presents a wide range of programs including major art exhibitions, performances, media programs, international conferences and lectures, and initiatives to improve elementary and secondary education about Asia. The Asia Society is headquartered in New York City, with regional centers in Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Melbourne, Australia, and representative offices in San Francisco, Manila and Shanghai.

Asia Society and Museum
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