Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei uses an ancient art form to speak truth to power.

In Circle in Black, Weiwei arranges one of his most well known artistic symbols in a radial composition. The artist started using the motif of the middle finger in 1995 when taking photos for his seminal series Study of Perspective. In the series, Weiwei stuck up his middle finger to historic landmarks in an act of defiance that asserts our collective right to form, hold and express individual beliefs.

First used in ancient China, woodblock printing befits Weiwei’s interest in the artisanal processes that have been used to create significant objects through history. Each print is made by hand using a carved wooden block loaded with black ink, introducing unique variations in texture to the surface of the artwork.