Ai Weiwei’s provocative art stems in no small part from the political turmoil he experienced in his youth. Shortly after Ai’s birth in 1957 in Beijing, China, his father, renowned poet Ai Qing, was accused of criticizing Mao Zedong’s regime and the family was exiled. Ai went on to study at the Beijing Film Academy, and he worked with a group of avant-garde artists known as Stars before moving to New York City in the early 1980s. There, Ai absorbed Western art movements led by Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp and began experimenting with painting and sculptures.

Ai’s works, ranging from large-scale installations such as “Sunflower Seeds” to the politically charged photography and performance art piece “Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn,” often challenge authority and tackle issues of freedom, human rights, and censorship. A vocal critic of the Chinese government, Ai has faced arrest and surveillance throughout his career. He currently lives in rural Portugal where he continues to exhibit and create art.