Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei was born in 1957 in Beijing, China, to one of China’s most famed poets, Ai Qing who was exiled shortly after The artist was severely impacted by the many years he spent in exile alongside his father They were then allowed to return to Beijing in 1976 after the Cultural Revolution had taken place and, in 1978, he enrolled at the Beijing Film Academy During this time he also joined Xingxing, a group of avant-garde artists that further encouraged him to create art Shortly after, he moved to New York to attend Parsons School of Design

Participating in the booming art community of New York and discoveringtheworksofMarcel Duchamp and George Buys ledhimtoshiftfrompaintingto sculpture making which is now a large part of his multifaceted oeuvre In 1993, he was forced to move back to Beijing due to

his father’s illness He soon became one of the foremost dissenters of the government and executed several works that served as advocacy for democracy and rights in a stifling environment His works include paintings, sculptures, public installations, books and films, all of which made an impact in China’s burgeoning art world One of his most revered works is a large-scale installation titled Sunflower Seeds at Tate Modern in London The work showcased 100 million hand-painted sunflower seeds made of porcelain Ai Wei Wei encouraged viewers to participate in the installation by walking over the seeds to signify the downtrodden citizens of China

In the mid-2010s, Ai Wei Wei turned his attention to an urgent crisis plaguing the world - that of refugees and the way they were treated in society This resulted in an impressive and impactful temporary installation at Konzerthaus Berlin concert hall, executed using 14,000 life vests collected from the Greek island of Lesbos The installation symbolised the journey thousands of refugees had to take from Turkey to Europe, with many losing their lives at sea

His works continue to serve as critiques on the social and political issues of China and the world They are poetic in their minimalism and translate contemporary concerns in China

to the global public

Among the many exhibitions the artist has held, the most prominent are at Kunsthaus Bregenz, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Asia Society Museum in New York, Haus der Kunst in Munich, and Mori Art Museum in Tokyo He has also been lauded for his work throughout the world, receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Ghent in Belgium (Faculty of Politics and Social Science) in 2010, the Skowhegan Medal in 2011 and the Chinese

Contemporary Art Award in 2008