Forbidden City, No.2

Forbidden City, No.2 (1989) by Ah Xian 

Woodblock print, 25cm x 25cm

Collector: Madeleine O'Dea

Ah Xian is now best known for his remarkable sculptures, which are in a number of Australian museum collections, but when we first met in 1986 he was primarily a painter. Back then his “studio” doubled as his bedroom, and was in fact only a small curtained-off section of his in-laws’ home. Despite the cramped conditions, he had a remarkable collection of paintings on display. On the first day I visited him, I was immediately gripped by a series of small oils depicting naked women walking through the grounds of the Forbidden City. These images struck me as both sensual and subversive: China was only a few years into its “opening up” to the West, and the rigid, puritanical values of the Cultural Revolution were not that far in the past. So, the idea of depicting a nude woman was provocative, even before imagining her striding through the historic centre of Beijing!

I very much wanted to buy one of these paintings, but Ah Xian was unwilling to sell. I believe they are still a treasured part of his own collection. But many years later when I was setting up house in Sydney, Ah Xian arrived at our housewarming party with this print based on the paintings which I had admired way back in 1986. Needless to say I was delighted! The print now hangs just next to the front door where I can see it every time I enter or leave the house. Each time I look at it, it reminds me of those heady and exciting early days in China, and of the constantly inspiring and experimental spirit of Ah Xian.

Madeleine O'Dea

(Madeleine O'Dea is an independent writer with a 30-year background in journalism and is the award winning author of The Phoenix Years: Art, Resistance, and the Making of Modern China.)

CLICK HERE to listen to Madeleine's commentary on Ah Xian and his work.