introduction continued

Some of the collectors were friends with the artists in the early stages of their careers in China and have been part of their artistic journey. Others met and befriended artists who migrated to Australia. Some artists were already successful when a collector came across their work, others were little known. Many felt a strong connection with a particular artwork, be it for the message or aesthetics or both, and purposely sought the artist out.

In whatever way these artworks were discovered, each is treasured by its collector who appreciates the creative skill of the artist and the inspiration behind the piece. Here’s Madeleine O’Dea, for example, describing her visit to artist Lin Chunyan’s Beijing studio in 2004 after he’d spent a stint in Sydney in the waterside neighbourhood of Bundeena: “I was delighted to find that he was creating major canvases fusing visual elements from Beijing and Sydney into joyous, magical landscapes. I immediately fell in love with this piece, even though it was so vast that I wasn’t sure how I would ever transport it home…” That work happily did make it back to Australia and has now been in Madeleine’s home for twenty years; others in the exhibition have been treasured by their owners for almost forty. Once collected none of it has been shown in public.

The works in this exhibition are in chronological order, the first produced in 1985, “Girl at the Kitchen Dresser” by Xia Baoyuan, and the last in 2024, “In Blue of Larkspur” by Dapeng Liu. Ah Xian has three works in three different collections, and it is fascinating to see early works of his in oil and woodblock print when he is now so well-known for his ceramic sculptures. Between the beginning and the end of this exhibition span 39 years, an exhilarating, dynamic period in Chinese art history that mirrors the ebbs and flows of massive societal changes and likewise the paths of the artists themselves.

Paul Klee said, “Art does not reflect what is seen, rather it makes the hidden visible.” Paraphrasing his words, we hope you enjoy admiring and contemplating the hidden works of art that have been made visible in our Hidden Treasures Virtual Gallery. This online exhibition would not have been possible without the generous “loan” of the images by the collectors and their time spent crafting their stories. Hovering over each image you’ll be able to open the link that takes you to a larger image, information about the artwork and the story of each piece. It is a treat to see these wonderful works that would otherwise remain invisible to the wider public. And a big thank you to all the artists for continuing to inspire us with their dedication to art without which all our lives would be a lot less interesting.

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