Geng Xue Solo Exhibition 2

Geng Xue, born in China in 1983, graduated with an MFA from the prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts China, where she is currently teaching. Her work has been exhibited around the world, including solo exhibitions Poetics of the Body–The Sculpture & Video Art of Geng Xue, Fengmian Art Space, China (2016), Mr Sea, Art Museum of Nanjing University of Arts, China (2014), The Other Side, National Museum of Wales, UK (2009); and recent group exhibitions which include Amassing Force - 2017 Wang Shikuo Awards, Today Art Museum, China (2017); China, Art of Movement, Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Musée-Château d’Annecy, France (2017); Holland Animation Film Festival, Netherlands (2017); Memory and Contemporaneity: China Art Today, Collateral Event of the 57th Venice Biennale, Italy (2017); 4th Jakarta Contemporary Ceramics Biennale, National Gallery of Indonesia, Indonesia (2016); China 8 - Contemporary Art from China on the Rhine and Ruhr, Germany (2015); Busan Biennale, South Korea (2014) and so on.

Through various interdisciplinary art forms such as sculpture, video, mythology, and performance, Geng Xue aims to unveil the hidden emotions and spiritual realms of human nature, striving to develop her own unique artistic language and evoking intense emotional experiences in people. For this exhibition, Geng Xue hopes to offer viewers new angles to perceive our relationship with the world.

Ariel Zhang holds a Master’s Degree in Art Management from Central Academy of Fine Art, China and has been leading the Arts Initiatives program at Bridging Hope Charity Foundation and TWT Property Group in Sydney. She has played an important role in developing and managing the Creative Precinct in St Leonards, where a range of innovative cultural exchange programs are carried out throughout the year. She also manages all corporate initiatives in supporting the art ecosystem, including public art projects for property development, TWT Excellence Prize for UNSW Art & Design Annual Exhibition, artist residency for locals and from China, art partnerships as well as the corporate art collection. Through BHCF’s major support for Big Anxiety Research Center, Ariel is passionate about and advocates for the power of art on improving people’s mental health and wellbeing. She organized China-Australia Forum on Art as Therapy in 2023.

Ariel has worked closely with many artists including Geng Xue through her active involvement in Australia – China culture exchange and know intimately their creative styles. She curated a well-known Chinese Australian artist Richard Wu’s solo exhibition in 2019. She also hosted China Contemporary Art Month forum in China Cultural Centre in 2017.

Paul McDonald is a socially engaged educator, artist and curator whose practice explores and creates a dialogue around community, social issues, masculinity and mental health. His practice is informed through research and the delivery of community participatory programs.

His most recent exhibition and publication “Study of Self” was presented in 2021-2022. The editioned book was shortlisted for the Australian PhotoBook Awards and presented at Photo 2022 in Melbourne. His photo essay summarising this series was published globally by the Guardian. He is currently represented by ‘The Little Black Gallery’, London. His photographic works have been published internationally and his work has been exhibited in over 25 countries. He completed his Master of Arts - Photojournalism and Documentary Photography in 2016, with Distinction, at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. He is an experienced educator and manager in the creative arts. He was employed as Associate Director, Education and Public Programs at the Australian Centre for Photography. He has managed and led large staff teams and his skills include education and training, professional development, strategic planning, operational management, budgeting, resource mobilisation and corporate governance. He has lectured at the Australian Centre for Photography, Raffles College of Design and Commerce, University of the Arts London, Macleay College of Journalism and for various private organisations and local councils. He currently lectures at National Art School (NAS), Sydney, Australia.

In 2014 he founded Contact Sheet and in 2022 Working Dog Gallery. As Director of both organisations, he has overseen and curated over 40 exhibitions, presented over 350 artists and a series of free public and community programs attracting an audience of over 20,000 visitors to the spaces he manages in St Leonards, New South Wales. In 2022, he curated an exhibition of contemporary Australian art for HRH Anne, Princess Royal, on a vessel in Sydney Harbour.