East meets Top End: Chinese scholar blends ancient ink art with Territory landscapes

Charles Darwin University (CDU) is home to a growing number of international researchers, including Xiao Xiao, a Chinese artist and academic whose PhD project is combining the traditions of Chinese ink painting with the distinctive native landscapes of Northern Australia.

Xiao is one of six students from China currently completing a PhD within CDU’s Faculty of Arts and Society.

A lecturer at Shanghai Normal University Tianhua College, she specialises in English, British and American history as well as Chinese traditional painting. 

“My interest in art was rooted in my childhood. My dad is a great artist and scholar - he was my first teacher of painting and calligraphy,” said Xiao. 

“Under his guidance, I learned to paint with brush and ink. Over time, my skills improved through persistent practice.”

Xiao was selected to study at CDU as part of a professional development program led by the Shanghai Education Committee, which sends outstanding lecturers abroad to strengthen their academic and research capabilities.

“I was honoured to be chosen for this doctoral program at CDU. When I researched the university and saw it was based in Darwin, surrounded by national parks, I knew it would be an ideal place for my art practice,” she said.

As part of her fieldwork, Xiao ​will conduct research in Kakadu National Park, capturing the local environment through brush, ink, and theory.

Xiao will remain in the Northern Territory for one year, returning to Shanghai to continue her thesis and artistic work before coming back to CDU for the final stage of her PhD and graduation exhibition.

Looking ahead, she hopes her experience in Australia will shape both her art and teaching.

“This experience has broadened my worldview. When I return to Shanghai, I’m also considering moving from language training into art education - I now see how vital art is for students’ development and their futures," she said. 

CDU’s Associate Dean Research and Associate Professor in Literary Studies and Communication (Faculty of Arts and Society), Dr Adelle Sefton-Rowston, said Xiao's research exemplified the kind of international collaboration championed by the University. 

“We see CDU as a place where artists and researchers from around the world can experiment, grow, and be inspired by the Territory’s distinctive environment and stories. Xiao’s journey captures the essence of that vision," said Dr Sefton-Rowston.