Untitled

Untitled (2013) by Ah Xian

Pencil on paper, 29.7cm x 21cm

Collector: Simon Chan

Ah Xian is a renowned Chinese Australian artist whose work is in the collections of all the major public institutions in Australia. He provided this A4 size pencil on paper artwork for 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art’s 4A A4 fundraising exhibition in 2014 where artworks were sold anonymously and the names of artists only announced once works were sold. Ah Xian rubbed the A4 size paper against the surface of one of his concrete busts to create the texture on the paper and used pencil to highlight the profile of the face in the drawing. I was the first to arrive and first in line in the queue waiting for the gallery to open for the 4A A4 fundraiser and immediately purchased this distinctive work when the gallery opened its doors.

Simon Chan

(Simon Chan AM is the Director and Founder of Sydney-based art gallery Art Atrium and also a practising architect and Director of SCA Architects.)