Ah Xian’s ‘China China’ series was the first major sculpture series to bring him acclaim after being granted asylum in Australia in 1989. A painter associated with the Chinese avant-garde, Ah Xian had fled China following the brutal crackdown on protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. In Australia, however, he was drawn to traditional Chinese materials and techniques, compelling him to return to China to learn from local craftspeople at the porcelain centre of Jingdezhen. The ‘China China’ series soon emerged, beginning a long career working with Chinese artisans and with materials such as cloisonné, lacquer and jade, while exploring the human body as an ongoing theme.