Australian artist David Reid celebrates Chinese art during a major solo exhibition in Jingdezhen, China’s historic porcelain hub. The exhibition, “From Here to Now, Intersection of Time and Place,” displays 41 works spanning ceramics, watercolor, and traditional ink painting.
Reid, who has lived in China for nearly 20 years, said his admiration for Chinese art inspired the collection. “I love Chinese windows for their sense of order and infinite possibilities. Blue-and-white porcelain also fascinates me for its long history,” he explained.
The exhibition opened in September and will remain on display until November. Visitors include local art enthusiasts and international friends visiting Jingdezhen for the first time. Reid emphasized that sharing Chinese culture with his guests remains a priority.
Reid first became fascinated with traditional Chinese ink art in 1985, when he saw rice-paper paintings at exhibitions between China and Australia. At that time, he noted that Australia’s high rice paper cost delayed his experimentation. He gained his first opportunity to work on Chinese rice paper in 2005 at the Shanghai Art Fair.
During his five years in Shanghai, Reid drew inspiration from the Huangpu River and the preserved architecture of old Shanghai. He described the city’s historic buildings as a “living encyclopedia of architectural heritage.” Later, he moved to Jingdezhen, a city with over 2,000 years of ceramic history, and began creating artworks there in 2018.
Working with ceramics presented new challenges. Reid admitted that painting on clay felt riskier than painting on paper, because mistakes prove difficult to correct. “You never know how it will turn out until it comes out of the kiln. That uncertainty is part of the charm,” he said.
Recently, Reid has explored painting on traditional Chinese silk to experiment further with historic materials. He said his work aims to foster exchange between Chinese and Australian artists. “I want to talk about culture and Chinese art history and show how much it has influenced me. I hope to be a bridge,” he added.
Art critics note that Reid’s exhibition demonstrates growing global interest in Chinese art. He blends ceramics, ink, and silk to bridge traditional and contemporary practices, offering fresh perspectives on cross-cultural collaboration. The exhibition may encourage further artistic exchanges between Australia and China, expanding global appreciation of Chinese art.
