Born in Beijing in 1960, Ah Xian went to Australia in 1990 where he sought asylum and settled in Sydney. Ah Xian started to incorporate traditional Chinese decorative arts in his work while he was there, working in collaboration with artisans in his native country. In the China China series, naturalistic porcelain busts (life casts of family and friends) are decorated with all-over images and traditional patterns. This concept creates a mismatch of form and surface that animates the faces and illustrates the tension between the interior self and the public face. A very personal and poetic work.