‘I wanted to convey dense, lush greenery in a figurative landscape,’ Casey Chen says of this painted ceramic work portraying a military fortress under attack. The scene is loosely modelled on depictions of China’s Taiping Rebellion (1850–64) by artist Wu Youru (1840–93), considered one of the first Chinese cartoonists. Rather than focus on the battle, Chen details the surrounding landscape, where pointer dogs observe the fire and smoke from outside the stronghold’s walls, dwarfed by plants and red peonies in the foreground and mountains in the distance.

Chen’s inspirations include the jungle paintings of French artist Henri Rousseau, Dutch Delftware tiles and hunting scenes in medieval tapestries. His ceramics explore East Asian porcelain craft techniques and are decorated with an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary motifs. In many of his vibrant works, references from Chinese literature, mythology and folklore merge with characters from pop culture, including the Japanese animations and American cartoons Chen watched as a child.

This is the Sydney artist’s first time as a finalist in the Wynne Prize. A portrait of Chen by artist Sassy Park is in this year’s Archibald Prize.