In Ai Weiwei's widely anticipated memoir, "one of the most important artists working in the world today" ( Financial Times) tells a century-long epic tale of China through the story of his own extraordinary life and the legacy of his father, the nation's most celebrated poet. He is so filled with scorn for his fellow country-men and their sheep-like tendencies, but doesn’t question the fact that both he and his father were able to fuel much of their artistic livelihoods through loans from their family and the unwavering financial and domestic support of their wives and international friends. Joy" is very floral but not in an overly sweet flower bomb type way, "1000" is more of a chypre type and is my favourite of the 3 even though I usually loathe chypre perfumes and "sublime" smells slightly spicy and oriental to my nose.

His memoir tracks the parallel events of his father’s life (a famous Chinese poet who was exiled to a labor camp during the Cultural Revolution), and his own clashes with authority, which culminated in his 3-month detention in 2011.The little he wrote about himself and his early years is entwined with details of his father's life. At once ambitious and intimate, Ai Weiwei's 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows offers a deep understanding of the myriad forces that have shaped modern China, and serves as a timely reminder of the urgent need to protect freedom of expression. I feel like I didn’t learn much at all about how he thinks about art or how he processed events in his life. It’s both a sad and awe inspiring memoir and I felt small and insignificant after getting to know such artists. But when talking about his own life, I got the sense that he’s never really examined his personal choices or the impact that he has had on the people around them.

OTOH, he pissed off the CCP, lost his Chinese studios, lost his passport, and was almost beaten to death by the secret police.Come to our boutique in McLean, VA today to explore our hand-picked selection of designer niche colognes and perfumes. Innovative materials, well-organised interior spaces, modern lines, unique details and high quality standards make RAK-JOY the ideal choice for your bathroom. slogan that so many Chinese works that are permitted in the Anglo sphere are reduced to, thus ultimately strengthening Ai's entire narrative. The quote I remember most came at the end and for me summed up Ai Weiwei's life and work: "Art is the antidote to fear" (p.

Some parts were heartbreaking, some were immensely insightful in providing the artist's view on his sources of inspiration. He trained at Hangzhou's National Art Academy but secured permission to study abroad in Paris in the late 1920s, the city George Orwell described then as a "moveable feast". Throughout his life, Ai has sacrificed almost every creature comfort and stability in pursuit of his artistic freedom (and the right of others to enjoy the same) against overwhelming odds, enduring a fallen-apart marriage, an art studio bulldozed before his eyes, hostile 24/7 surveillance by Chinese police and state, and much more.For those who do not consider Ai Weiwei's documentaries and installations 'art', I would urge you to be open to a re-boot. Gently fragranced with subtle floral notes and light citrus tones, Joy Wash will cleanse without drying out your skin, it will not overpower your senses with a strong fragrance and is gentle enough to use for the hands, body and face. Throughout the book, as well as the book jacket, there are illustrations by Ai Weiwei, with additional photographs of the artist, his family and his work. Getting a personal explanation on the thought processes behind the development/evolution of his installations is very enlightening - but perhaps some of the intrigue/mystery/magic behind contemporary art is lost when attributed to storylines and reason. With art I opened up a space that was new to me, an abandoned space infested with weeds, in wild and desolate ruin.

I realize now that my former erroneous impressions came solely from a lack of curiosity and knowledge and I sorely regret that I once considered Ai Weiwei just another contemporary [Chinese] artist out for personal/financial gain. The author's experience with and accounts of government officials and soldiers made them seem strikingly incompetent and uncaring and mechanical--as though really no one believes in the system but virtually everyone goes along with it anyway. I had never asked him what he was thinking, never wondered what the world was like for him as he looked at it through his one good eye. My recent deep dive of Ai Wei Wei includes this riveting memoir, his Rapture show in Lisbon, and his many documentaries, some by him and some about him. He was under constant surveillance, kept in a secret prison for a time, was under house arrest for five years, and now lives in exile in Portugal.At Parfums De France, we offer a diverse range of designer niche perfumes and colognes with unique scent blends. Our fragrance boutique features a range of niche, indie, and designer perfumes and colognes sure to please any perfume enthusiast. Here is the story of a childhood spent in desolate exile after his father, Ai Qing, once China's most celebrated poet, fell foul of the authorities. This is the rarest sort of memoir, rising above the arc of history to grasp at the limits of the soul. As for me, I've learnt a lot about contemporary China, about the impact of a totalitarian state on people's life.