Peach Blossom Spring

Written in 421 AD, the Chinese fable of Peach Blossom Spring tells the story of a fisherman who stumbles upon a utopian community. However, when he leaves to share news of his discovery, he finds the community has disappeared, never to be seen again. In Firstdraft’s latest exhibition, six Chinese-Australian artists take inspiration from the fable to explore ideas surrounding the Chinese diaspora and the impossibility of returning to the past. Artists featured include graphic designer Joy Li, who uses type and images to explore the intersection between gender, race and culture; Nolan Ho Wung Murphy, who combines black and white photography and ink paintings to explore the “in between”; glass artist NC Qin; textile artist Marisa Suen; Zoe Wong, whose works critiques notions of the East in a Western context; and Connor Xia, who seeks to understand China’s minority groups.