TY - JOUR
T1 - Negotiating 'Chinese-Australian' Identity: Ah Xian's Dr John Yu (2004) and his China China series (1998-2004)
AU - Burchmore, Alex
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - In 2003, Australias National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in Canberra commissioned a rising Australian contemporary artist, Ah Xian, to create a portrait of Dr John Yu, one of the countrys most celebrated paediatricians. Both the artist and the subject have contributed greatly to Australian society and culture, yet it was to a certain extent their Chinese heritage that brought them together. The resulting portrait Dr John Yu (2004, Figure 1) communicates this Chineseness in three interconnected aspects: above all, it is a deeply personal portrayal of a Chinese-Australian by a contemporary Chinese-Australian artist; at the same time, its medium, as well as the manner and location in which it was created, evoke an association with the history of Chinese porcelain; finally, Ah Xians use of an iconic Chinese motif and the link that this creates with his other works suggests an added layer of cultural meaning. It is this third, cultural element that attains most significance, uniting with the personal and historical dimensions of meaning to communicate Ah Xians and Yus shared experiences as migrant citizens, shaped by their individual negotiations of ChineseAustralian identity.
AB - In 2003, Australias National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in Canberra commissioned a rising Australian contemporary artist, Ah Xian, to create a portrait of Dr John Yu, one of the countrys most celebrated paediatricians. Both the artist and the subject have contributed greatly to Australian society and culture, yet it was to a certain extent their Chinese heritage that brought them together. The resulting portrait Dr John Yu (2004, Figure 1) communicates this Chineseness in three interconnected aspects: above all, it is a deeply personal portrayal of a Chinese-Australian by a contemporary Chinese-Australian artist; at the same time, its medium, as well as the manner and location in which it was created, evoke an association with the history of Chinese porcelain; finally, Ah Xians use of an iconic Chinese motif and the link that this creates with his other works suggests an added layer of cultural meaning. It is this third, cultural element that attains most significance, uniting with the personal and historical dimensions of meaning to communicate Ah Xians and Yus shared experiences as migrant citizens, shaped by their individual negotiations of ChineseAustralian identity.
U2 - 10.1080/14434318.2017.1333397
DO - 10.1080/14434318.2017.1333397
M3 - Article
VL - 17
SP - 33
EP - 53
JO - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art
JF - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art
IS - 1
ER -