Ah Xian came to Australia from Beijing in 1989, having already gained some recognition and experience as an artist here. His application for permanent residency took many years to process, and he worked for a long time as a house painter. He began casting porcelain busts and painting them with traditional Chinese designs in 1997; an artist-in-residency followed, he sold a bust to Sydney's Powerhouse Museum, and he held his first solo show in Melbourne in 2000. The following year, he won the National Gallery of Australia's inaugural National Sculpture Prize with his life-size painted cloisonne enamel figure Human human: "Human Human : Lotus Cloisonne Figure 1 (2000-2001)".
Updated 2018
