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Founded in 2012 by Yashian Schauble, the Australia China Art Foundation (ACAF) is dedicated to the promotion of contemporary art by facilitating meaningful cross-cultural exchange between artists, collectors, institutions and art professionals in Australia, China and beyond. We support artists and organisations to undertake collaborative projects that will develop a greater appreciation and understanding of the rich arts culture of each country. The Australia China Art Foundation has a very positive way of supporting the arts. ACAF is an energetic and fully operational not for profit organisation that actively administers a range of residency programs, exhibitions and events. The Foundation has sponsored a series of exhibitions, talks and seminars at art fairs and other events and we will continue to develop our education program for both art students and collectors. We believe that engaging with people on a personal level is the best way to build strong and lasting networks. Australia and China already have a long shared history, and we want to ensure that we also share an exciting and vibrant future.

Core activities of the Australia China Art Foundation:

To provide encouragement prizes and awards to innovative artists, in association with curated Projects
To undertake sponsorship of special art events to raise the profile of artists in Australia and China
To support the participation of artists in art fairs, Biennales and other international art events
To organise ambitious and ground-breaking exhibitions in different countries, and to extend the opportunities for the public display of important works by emerging and established artists
To collaborate with a range with other institutions (including foundations, public and private galleries, museums, government and companies) and with individuals to provide more exhibition opportunities
To enhance the understanding of art from China and Australia through talks and seminars, local and international art tours, and special events for collectors

The ACAF CHINA Fellowship Program places Australian and international artists in studios across China, including the rural artistic communities in China and the cosmopolitan art centre of Shanghai. Based in one of these studios and for a period of two months, Fellows work alongside ACAF’s Chinese and international Fellows to engage in cross-cultural artistic exchange, produce new works for exhibition in China, Australia and other regions, and develop regional networks and understanding. The Fellowships include planned events, workshops, seminars and dinners, with leading Chinese artists, curators and collectors. Where possible, Fellowships are timed to take advantage of major biennales and festivals in the local area, enabling greater artistic and commercial network development and intensified immersion in local arts and culture. At the end of each year, ACAF presents an exhibition of the works produced by Fellows in the preceding year.

The ACAF CHINA Fellowship provides both Artists in Residency and Curators in Residency programs. The ACAF Artists in Residency (AAIR) program helps working artists develop their skills, make connections with the Chinese art world, earn exposure for their work, and share their expertise with others in a supportive experience of cultural immersion and exchange while helping some of the worlds most underprivileged children in ARTS CAN DO program. The ACAF Curators in Residency (ACIR) program offers the curators from around the world the opportunity to work with local curators in our One on One program of cross cultural exhibitions.

ACAF Shanghai is a modern studio/gallery space incorporating comfortable and secure living quarters. The ACAF CHINA Fellowship Program in Shanghai provides food, accommodation, studio, exhibition space and other support for both Australian and international artists and curators. Artists have use of the spacious exhibition gallery for private or collaborative exhibitions and are also helped to make connections to the Chinese art world that would help their practice. The ACAF Studio is in the fast growing Shanghai Songjiang Sheshan development, an art precinct alive with art galleries, art clubs, artists' studios, boutique hotels, media and creative audio visual studios. The Artist in Residency program (AAIR) is available to artists at all stages in their careers and working in all media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, poetry, dance, music, interdisciplinary. Residencies are typically for 2 to 3 months. Resident artists commit to working ten hours a week in our Arts Can Do project and also have the opportunity take part in regional arts programs. Arts Can Do is an art based education program helping disadvantaged children developing life skills and confidence through involvement in art. 

The Australia China Art Foundation International Fellowship Program is in association with THE PETER WILMOT THOMPSON STIFTUNG in Germany and offers exchange residency program at their Sculpture Park Wesenberg in Mecklenburg, Germany.