Pnyin - Chinese Cultural Ambassadors Outshine in Southern Skies

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Chinese Cultural Ambassadors Outshine in Southern Skies

Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia at the opening ceremony

"Southern Skies -- Chinese Artists in Australia" is on display in the Australian embassy from April 9 to April 16, 2008. The eight Chinese artists involved in the show have been living and working in Australia for nearly two decades. They had a solid understanding of Chinese culture before leaving
and have also been influenced by Australian culture. Their works reflect the combination and integration of the two cultures and the artists' new thoughts about the world.

When talking about relationships between two countries, people often refer to political and economical ties. But cultural relationships also draw on communication and understanding, and a contemporary art exhibition in Beijing is currently illustrating the friendship between China and Australia.

Organizer Madeleine O'Dea calls the "Southern Skies" artists "cultural ambassadors."

"This exhibition is a celebration of nearly twenty years of relations between Chinese contemporary artists and Australia."

In the late 1980's and early 1990's, this group of Chinese artists decided that in order to develop as artists, they needed to go overseas. They went to Australia, where they all struggled somewhat, but eventually became successful artists producing beautiful work.

Their work has also drawn the attention of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. He opened the exhibition in the Australian embassy and reviewed a painting by renowned artist Guan Wei.

"See, for example, a piece such as that by Guan Wei over to our right, which is a traditional Chinese 山水 (landscape) painting. If you look carefully, and I suggest that to the Australians who are present, who are visiting, you will see Ned Kelly being persecuted at the bottom of the waterfall.
So this is kind of Ned Kelly via Sidney Nolan through Guan Wei into a Chinese landscape of the Ming Dynasty -- you figure it out. But I tell you what -- it's kind of a lot of fun."

The piece Rudd mentioned is Guan Wei's acrylic on rice paper scroll called "Tracing Downing Ned Kelly, No. 2." Completed in 2004, the scroll portrays a modern antiterrorism story in a Ming Dynasty setting.

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