BIOGRAPHY by John Duffield
James An (An Baoyu) a.k.a. Xiao An in Australia, was born in 1963 in Qingdao, Shandong Province in P. R. China . He studied calligraphy and painted in oils before leaving for Australia in 1989. In 1997 he became an Australian citizen.
In 1991 he lived in Sydney and began to work collaboratively with David Bishop who was born in Adelaide in 1964. Together they exhibited under the name of XAD. They sold their paintings, relief plasters and photography to private collections throughout Australia and overseas.
In 1994 James and David made their home in Goolwa, South Australia where they continued to successfully produce and sell art works for almost ten years. Many works were linked thematically to the surrounding Murray River, Coorong and Fleurieu Peninsula with their unique natural wonders, especially the variety of bird life and light formations. Inspiration was derived from found objects; a shard of crockery becoming a piece of treasure, the grain of a discarded wood plank becoming water, birds coming and going and the river ongoing.
James also commenced making tapestries in Goolwa. Many of these were a surreal synthesis of the East and West, bold, colourful and decorative in expression. The fibres. silks and rayons utilised were obtained in Australia as well as overseas. This was enabled by a brief trip back to China in 1997 which included visiting his hometown Qingdao and Shidao in Shandong Province. James' family ties to these places also prompted a return journey in July/August 1999.
Observing differences and similarities and searching for common trends became their main objective as artists. A steady stream of exhibitions continued until they ceased working together in 2003. Together, as well as individually, they were able to offer their works to wider audiences and achieve significant cultural benefit to both countries.
In 2004 James commenced studying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in the University of South Australia. He studied print making, sculpture, digital art and life drawing. In 2005 he returned to live in China. In September 2006 he moved again, this time to establish his own studio gallery in Honglongjing, Old Dali in the Yunnan Province of SW China. His new works are now on display beside his collection of textiles which span across the time he spent in Goolwa, Australia. He now proudly exhibits and sells works to an expanding audience of Chinese and International visitors. His studio is situated below his residence on a quiet walking street graced with willow trees that stand beside a running stream and beautiful mountains in the background. James is delighted to accept commissions for new works, in particular major textile creations that draw upon his experience of living in both the East and the West. (06/2007)