Lanna International School is honoured to welcome renowned Australian artist David Reid for an inspiring artist residency from 4-15 November. With a career spanning 40 years across Asia, China, Europe, and Australia, David brings with him a wealth of experience and unique perspectives that he’s excited to share with students and teachers alike.
A Life in Art with David Reid
David is an Australian artist who has spent the past 16 years living, working, and exhibiting in Asia, China, Europe and Australia over a forty-year career. Pre-Covid, he was mostly living in Jingdezhen, China with forays to Australia and Europe for exhibitions. He is now based in Kuala Lumpur and the Southern Highlands.
He has been making ink paintings on a variety of Chinese paper with black Chinese ink and acrylic artist quality ink from Australia and Germany since 1987. More recently, he has also been experimenting with traditional Chinese silk.
His works on Xuan paper and silk (Chinese rice and mulberry paper) are acclaimed in China, Malaysia, and Singapore.
During his artist residency at LANNA, David will be working alongside both Primary and Secondary art teachers, sharing his techniques and what it’s like to be a working artist. He will also offer a parent/student workshop and an artist talk.
Our Interview with David: Sharing His Passion with LANNA Students
What are you excited about for this artist residency?
“The great thing is, for kids that are interested in art, is to see someone that is doing it for a living. Doing it professionally, and doing it because they love it. Art is something that children hold dear, and I love connecting and being a representation of making art successfully. The emotional effect of colour and drawing and all those kinds of things are important, and then for the kids to see it done through a professional lens is exciting.”
Tell me about your journey to becoming a “working artist”?
“I studied Chinese Art in school when I was 16 and 17. It was such a tough topic and I loved it. It got me into University, where I went on to get my arts degree at UNSW and University of Sydney… I studied Fine Arts at Sydney among other related topics. This started me on my path. I went on to work for a publisher and they were doing lithographs of the best Australian artists. One of them was my teacher, and a working artist, and he was influenced by Asian culture. Working with him and being exposed to the best artists in Australia was huge. I got to meet them and see how they worked – it was like a Masterclass! I eventually left that behind and transformed my experience and knowledge into my own voice and approach. I’m really interested in the writing and calligraphy of Chinese art and the process there, but also expanding what that means. You’ll see that theme in my work. I also love the incredible ceramics of Jingdezhen, where I lived for many years. I’ve been a professional artist since 1992. Yes, it’s hard and you have to work at it, like anything.”
Do you have any stories or advice you’d like to share?
“So, I went to China in 2005 for a Shanghai Arts Fair and, because I had already been working with Chinese rice paper, people went “oh this is so different” and were interested in a Westerner using this medium. I was using bold colours and a contemporary approach. I was really encouraged to do more. At that Fair I also learned where I could buy the paper for 80 cents/sheet. I had been paying AUD10/sheet – unbelievably expensive! Because I was used to paying more, I developed a habit of being very careful with the paper. I was turning it over and using every bit. I learned how to use the paper really well. When we are limited, sometimes it means we gain new perspectives.”
How do you improve and combat self-judgement as an artist?
“Well it’s the thing of doing a little every day. And to say, okay that didn’t work…but what’s another idea. And I think you can see that in my work. I have whole different strands of things that I do. I’m interested in looking at things, at depicting landscapes, depicting people in public situations, and abstracting it. There is a sense of motion, a sense of…the brain, the heart and the hand working together. It’s the movement of things I’m interested in. It’s important to always remember that things are never wrong. If you don’t like something, then you try again. Comparing yourself is a downward spiral.”
What kind of activities will you be doing with students at LANNA?
“One activity is about drawing faces. It’s an easy thing to learn but also helps with proportions, how to observe people, how to get someone to cooperate with you. So that’s a lovely thing to do. And the cumulative effect of that is that when you put all the portraits up on the wall, you got the whole class! And it’s a real bonding. It’s about community.”
How do you get involved in the process as an artist in residence?
“I’m not afraid to go “let’s get the rubber and try this” or “let’s get the razor and rework that”. And there’s nothing that is wrong. I keep emphasizing that there are no mistakes. And charcoal, which is the medium we will use, is very forgiving. You can keep working over it. You can see the things underneath but that’s like seeing your journey of where you started and where you’ve gone. It’s a great medium to use. And, we will use Chinese rice paper. It’s best to use it on the ground.”
Thank you so much, David. We’re excited to have you here at LANNA!
“If we can just encourage the kids to be confident in what they do and give them skills, then I’ll be happy. Being all in it together is important and I’m happy to be here too!”
