Ah Xian’s ‘China China’ series was the first major sculpture series to bring him acclaim after seeking asylum in Australia in 1989, following the events at Tiananmen Square. In Beijing, Ah Xian had been a painter closely associated with the Chinese avant-garde, but in Australia – feeling a release from the immediate pressures of Chinese politics and censorship – he became drawn to learn about traditional Chinese materials and techniques. This interest compelled him to return to China in the late 1990s to learn from craftspeople at the porcelain centre of Jingdezhen. The ‘China China’ series soon emerged, marking the beginning of a significant career working with Chinese artisans and with materials such as cloisonné, lacquer and jade, exploring the human body as an ongoing theme.