About

'Ah Xian: Metaphysica' features bronze busts from an ongoing series by Chinese–Australian artist Ah Xian.

Cast from life in a lengthy process, each figure in 'Metaphysica' is subtly different in patina and expression. Distinguishing each are the items resting atop the heads — objects purchased by the artist from Beijing antique and craft markets or from roadside stalls, and ranging from deities and temples to animals and lamps. The artist describes them as 'auspicious symbolic objects which reflect what people believe, love, appreciate and enjoy'. Some have a Buddhist influence and some draw from historical or traditional tales, while others are from the artist's imagination.

Each object holds importance for the artist. He believes the top of the head is the site where 'our wishes, imaginations, and spiritual souls linger … The skull is like a skylight to link our emotions and souls with the imaginative possibilities of the spirit'. Like the philosophy of metaphysics, these sculptures joyously explore the nature of existence and imply aspects that lie beyond the physical bodies we inhabit.