Hot on the heels of my gallery visit last week, I decided to attend the Heaven and Earth in Chinese Art exhibition at the AGNSW on Friday. Fresh from reading the Newcastle Herald on air at 2RPH in the morning, I made my way uptown through the traffic-choked streets of the CBD to the magnificent classic pile that sits in solitary splendour adjacent the Domain, the Art Gallery of NSW.

Readers of this blog (surely none! -ed.) will know that I am a student of Chinese history, so you will not be surprised that I found this exhibition remarkable on many levels. Firstly, my astonishment at the antiquity of some of the items, notably a Shang-era bronze tripod dating from at least 1000BC. Secondly, the range of paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, bronzes and jades on display, each demanding time spent for appreciation, made this a pure feast for the senses. Beyond the merely intellectual realm one is challenged by the philosophical idea of tian ren he yi, the harmonious coexistence of nature and humans with the cosmos. This is apparent in the works on display, though their understanding requires attention. Passing by each glass case too carelessly, one might appreciate the beauty and workmanship, but miss a world of deeper meanings and symbols.

Perhaps I look too much for meaning in the world, but it strikes me that seeking out explanation beyond the mere physicality of an object has much merit. It can help us understand ourselves in the modern world too and is a corrective to the hubris of our time.

Below, a detail from 'Along the river during the Qingming Festival’

Qing dynasty, Shen Yuan (1736–95) handscroll, ink and colour on paper,