Ai Weiwei: From Growing Up Oppressed in China to Becoming a Dissident Artist Fighting Injustice Worldwide
-
Ai Weiwei grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution, living in exile and oppression that shaped his worldview and later artworks.
-
As an avant-garde artist, Ai has created politically provocative works in China and abroad, drawing harsh crackdowns from the Chinese government, including imprisonment and the destruction of his studios.
-
Ai spent over a decade living in the U.S. as a young art student, but returned to China to support his ill father, only to face more artistic repression.
-
After years of conflicts with the Chinese regime, Ai fled to Europe, but continues to speak out against injustices like the plight of refugees and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
-
Ai calls on artists to "speak your thoughts loudly and without considering the consequences" in the face of censorship targeting dissenting voices.