Feature: Australian artist's 20-year career exploring Chinese art, culture

This photo shows a painting on Xuan paper depicting a night view of Shanghai by Australian artist David Reid. (Xinhua)

NANCHANG, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- At his solo exhibition in Jingdezhen, known as China's porcelain capital, Australian artist David Reid is proudly showcasing his artwork: Chinese window motifs painted on a porcelain bottle in the traditional blue-and-white style.

"I love Chinese windows -- the sense of order and the infinite possibilities they create. I also like blue and white porcelain for its tremendous history," said Reid, who has lived in China for nearly 20 years.

The exhibition, "From Here to Now, Intersection of Time and Place -- New Porcelain Ceramics and Ink Paintings," opened in September and will be on display until November. It features 41 works, ranging from ceramics to watercolor paintings, offering both a reflection of Reid's deep attachment to Jingdezhen and a personal gift from the artist to mark his 70th birthday.

At the exhibition opening, Reid welcomed friends from overseas, many of whom were visiting Jingdezhen or China for the first time. In an interview with Xinhua, Reid said he had been eager to share the charm of Chinese culture with them.

During the interview, Reid spoke of the admiration he has had for traditional Chinese ink art since 1985, when he saw ink paintings on rice paper at an exhibition organized between China and Australia.

"At that time, rice paper was too expensive in Australia, which made me hesitant to fully experiment until I first came to China in 2005 to participate in the Shanghai Art Fair," Reid said. "I was presented with an amazing opportunity to display my work on Chinese rice paper."

During the five years he spent in Shanghai, Reid enjoyed staying in hotels overlooking the Huangpu River, watching the procession of boats. To him, the preserved buildings of old Shanghai are like a living "encyclopedia of architectural heritage."

After his time in Shanghai, Reid found a new home in Jingdezhen -- a city in east China's Jiangxi Province with an over-2,000-year history of ceramics -- where he was invited to create artworks in 2018.

"In Jingdezhen, I feel at home," he said.

Working with ceramics was a new and challenging experience for Reid. His brush didn't move on the clay when he made his first attempt, he recalled. "If you mess up a piece of paper, there's always another one. But you're much more reluctant to throw away something once it's applied to clay."

"You really don't know how it's going to turn out until it comes out of the kiln, so there's always that tremendous anxiety," he said. "That's the charm."

More recently, Reid has also been exploring painting on traditional Chinese silk. "I was eager to experiment more with these amazing traditional materials."

"I'm a great fan of Chinese culture and civilization in all its forms," Reid told Xinhua, adding that he is working on creating more opportunities for exchange between Chinese and Australian artists.

"I'm very keen to talk about culture and Chinese art history, and how much it's influenced me. I'm happy to be the bridge," he said. ■

Australian artist David Reid participates in a public art course in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, Sept. 27, 2025. (Xinhua)

This photo taken in 2018 shows Australian artist David Reid presenting his artwork in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua)