Ai Weiwei was born in northwest China but was sent to a labor camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when he was only a year old. There he was raised for the early years of his life. His father Aì Qīng’s involvement in the Anti-Rightist Movement led to the family's exile shortly afterward to Shihezi, Xinjiang, where Ai spent the duration of his childhood. Upon Mao Zedong’s death, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
Following the family’s return home, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy to study animation in 1978. He was one of the founders of the avant-garde art group the Stars alongside contemporaries Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The Stars disbanded in the 1980s, but Ai participated in regular shows that recalled the ten years that the group had been together, including at the Hanart Gallery in 1989 and the retrospective 2007 exhibition at Beijing's Origin Point.
Ai moved to the USA in 1981, among the earliest of students to study abroad following China’s reform in 1980, which afforded him the opportunity to take the TOEFL in 1981. He lived in Philadelphia and then in San Francisco, studying English at the University of California, Berkeley. Afteward, Ai studied at Parsons School of Design in New York City and attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986. He initially made a living by drawing street portraits.
Immersing himself in the Pop art scene, which was rapidly gaining popularity, Ai began creating conceptual art and photography. Ai returned to China after his father became ill in 1993, and while there he helped to establish the experimental art scene called Beijing East Village. In 1999, Ai built a studio house in Beijing — his first architectural project. Ai founded the architecture studio FAKE Design in 2003, and co-curated the art exhibition "Fuck Off" with Feng Boyi in Shanghai.
In 2011, Ai was arrested and jailed. Released after 81 days, the government confiscated his passport. His release was in part due to the uproar of the art world against his charges of tax evasion; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums both organized petitions, collecting almost 100,000 signatures calling for his release. When he reclaimed his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin and lived in a studio. It became a base for him to create his international work.
Ai is the artistic director of China Art Archives & Warehouse. The experimental gallery and archive, co-founded by Ai in 1997, concentrates on experimental art from the People’s Republic of China, initiating and facilitating exhibitions both in China and internationally.
Ai's work is in the collections of museums worldwide, including the Tate, London; Arken, London; Brooklyn Museum, New York; and the RA, London. His international architectural collaborations, including the Beijing National Stadium and the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, have consistently been met with critical acclaim.
Find a variety of authentic Ai Weiwei prints, paintings and other art today on 1stDibs.
Ai Weiwei - Cats (Black)
By Ai Weiwei
Located in London, GB
Screen print on Saunders Waterford 300gsm paper Hand-signed, dated, and numbered by the artist 28 × 32.8 cm Edition of 150 Framed The print was editioned by master printer, Kip Gres...
Screen
$2,800
Ai Weiwei - Cedar - Screenprint on Somerset Velvet Antique 280gsm paper Signed/N
By Ai Weiwei
Located in New York, NY
Screenprint on Somerset Velvet Antique 280gsm paper Pencil signed and numbered 112/150 Printed at The Print Studio, Cambridge This work has been elegantly framed in a wood frame unde...
Screen
Ai Weiwei - Cats (Red)
By Ai Weiwei
Located in London, GB
Screen print on Saunders Waterford 300gsm paper Hand-signed, dated, and numbered by the artist 28 × 32.8 cm Edition of 150 Framed The print was editioned by master printer, Kip Gres...
Screen
$2,346
Guardian
By Ai Weiwei
Located in London, GB
Guardian, 2024 60 x 60 cm edition of 1601 hand-signed and numbered by the artist Understanding the print... see image 4. 01 · Sunflower seeds Used in ceramic form by Weiwei for his ...
Glitter, Screen
Ai Weiwei – Odyssey (Offset Lithograph, 2017)
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Draper, UT
Ai Weiwei – Odyssey (Offset Lithograph, 2017) In 2017, amidst mounting global anxieties about migration and national divides, Ai Weiwei launched Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, a s...
Paper
Middle Finger in Red
By Ai Weiwei
Located in London, GB
Artist: Ai Weiwei Title: Middle Finger in Red Year: 2023 Medium: 2 colour silkscreen print on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized Satin White paper Edition: 1285; signed in pencil Sheet: ...
Screen
Ai Weiwei, Zodiac - Signed Print and Limited Edition Book
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Hamburg, DE
Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1957) Zodiac, 2024 Medium: Digital print, gold foil stamped, on paper (incl. artist's book and slipcase) Dimensions: 6 × 8 1/2 in 15.2 × 21.6 cm Edition of 10...
Digital
River Crabs (from Papercut Portfolio)
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Calabasas, CA
Artist: Ai Weiwei Title: River Crabs (from Papercut Portfolio) Year: 2019 Medium: Papercut on large format, colored fine art paper Edition: 250; sig...
Lithograph
$1,624Sale Price|20% Off
Guardian, 2024 by Ai Weiwei, Silkscreen, Chinese, Symbolism, Contemporary Art
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Zug, CH
Ai Weiwei Guardian 2024 2 colour silkscreen with a metallic glitter base layer, printed on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized Radiant White paper 59.94 × 59.94 cm (23.6 × 23.6 in) Signed and ...
Paper, Glitter
Furniture, from The Papercut Portfolio
By Ai Weiwei
Located in London, GB
Papercut, 2019, signed by the artist in pencil recto, from the edition of 250 (there were also 24 artist’s proofs), published by Taschen, London, 60 x 60 cm. (23.6 x 23.6 in.) Ai We...
Archival Paper
Ai Weiwei, Cats (Black) - Signed Print, Contemporary Art, Chinese Activist
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Hamburg, DE
Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1957) Cats (Black), 2022 Medium: Screenprint on paper Sheet dimensions: 28 x 32.8 cm Frame dimensions: 36.1 x 41.2 cm Edition of 150: Hand-signed, numbered and...
Screen
Ai Weiwei, Bomb - Fine Art Inkjet Print, Hand-Signed
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Hamburg, DE
Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1957) Bomb, 2020 Medium: Fine art inkjet print, Hahnemüle German etching 310g paper Dimensions: 95 x 130 cm (37 2/5 x 51 1/5 in) Edition of 100 + 25 AP: Hand-s...
Paper, Inkjet
First Edition 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows Signed Copy by Ai weiwei
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Draper, UT
n his 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 o...
Archival Paper
Ai Weiwei, Cats (Silver) - Signed Print
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Hamburg, DE
Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1957) Cats (Silver), 2024 Medium: Silver foil block on wove paper Dimensions: 27.2 x 32.8 cm (10 7/10 × 12 9/10 in) Edition of 200: Hand-signed, numbered and d...
Foil
$16,000Sale Price|20% Off
Year of the Ox (large framed, hand signed screen print)
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Aventura, FL
22-color Screen print on paper. Hand signed lower front by Ai Weiwei. Hand numbered 'Printer's Proof 4' on verso (there is also a main edition of 58). Artwork size: 39.81 x 39.87 ...
Screen, Paper
Forest, 1977
By Ai Weiwei
Located in London, GB
Ai Weiwei “Forest (1977)”, 2024 Limited edition offset lithograph print Edition of 200 Hand-signed by the artist Published by Damocle Edizioni, Venice, 2024 Each edition comes with...
Lithograph, Offset
Cats (Pink)
By Ai Weiwei
Located in London, GB
Screen print on Saunders Waterford 300gsm paper Hand-signed, dated, and numbered by the artist 45 x 62 cm Edition of 300 + 3 PP The print was editioned by master printer, Kip Gresham at The Print Studio, Cambridge for Kettle's Yard. It was made using an original drawing ‘cut’ into an acrylic sheet. The image is then reversed when printed. Description from the publisher: "Drawing has been fundamental to Ai Weiwei’s artistic practice from an early age. He also has a longstanding love of cats, and they appear frequently in the artist’s social media posts. Many cats used to roam his studio in Beijing. As part of the Kettle’s Yard exhibition, Ai’s ‘Cats wallpaper...
Screen
Middle Finger in Red
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Calabasas, CA
Artist: Ai Weiwei Title: Middle Finger in Red Year: 2023 Medium: 2 colour silkscreen print on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized Satin White paper Edition: 1285; signed in pencil Sheet: 23 3/...
Screen
Ai Weiwei, History of Bombs - Limited Edition Print, Contemporary Pop Art
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Hamburg, DE
Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1957) History of Bombs, 2020 Medium: Digital print on 170gsm arco paper Dimensions: 19.7 x 27.6 in (50 x 70 cm) Edition of 1000: Printed signature on accompany...
Digital
Kate Moss
By Annie Kevans
Located in New York, NY
Listing includes framing, free shipping to continental US and a 14-day return policy. Kate Moss by Annie Kevans 20 x 16 inch paper 16 x 20 inch image Archival pigment print Edition 15 of 50 Signed and edition on the front of the print Frame is in fair condition and is included for free due the condition issues. The print itself is in excellent condition. If you would like the print sent unframed the cost is the same. Please let us know if you would prefer to have us ship the print unframed. Artist Biography - Kevans’ paintings reflect her interests in power, manipulation and the role of the individual in inherited belief systems. She looks at alternative histories and how they relate to current issues and creates what she describes as ‘anti-portraits’ that may or may not be based on real documentation. She believes that, as her work is concept driven, sometimes the actual similarity to the person depicted in the work is irrelevant. This can be seen in her 'Boys' series which is not about portraying dictators as they really looked as children but rather about the notion of the ‘innocent child’ which has influenced images of children in art...
Canvas, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
Wine
By David Shrigley
Located in Manchester, GB
David Shrigley, Wine, 2021 Hand-signed and dated on the reverse Edition 29 of 125 75 x 56 cm Screenprint in colours Private Collection UK
Screen
Tea for two – Tod
By Harry Bunce
Located in Deddington, GB
Tea for two – Tod by Harry Bunce [2017] limited_edition Screen Print Edition number 146 Image size: H:25 cm x W:31 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:41 cm x W:49 cm x D:0.3cm Sol...
Paper, Screen
Silver Flowers, March 3, 2011
By Donald Sultan
Located in New York, NY
Silver Flowers, March 3, 2011 Silkscreen with hand applied black Silica on Sauders Waterford paper, 410gm hot press 38 x 38 inches edition of 75 Print also available in Gold...
Screen
Vivien in White Coat, 2021
By Alex Katz
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Alex Katz Vivien in White Coat, 2021 is a work of subtle admiration that the artist holds for her daughter-in-law, Vivien Bittencourt. The gentle hues...
Screen
$930
H 34.65 in W 24.02 in D 0.04 in
Modern Art at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven – Original Vintage Dutch Poster
Located in Zurich, CH
Original Vintage Poster in bright and crisp colors by the Dutch graphic design legend Wim Crouwel, advertising rather the museum's collection of works by...
Paper
$17,500
H 12.5 in W 30 in D 0.5 in
Mel Bochner, Kick Against the Pricks (Blah Blah Blah) Silkscreen Signed/N Framed
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
MEL BOCHNER Kick Against the Pricks (Blah..Blah...Blah...), 2018 Two color silkscreen on boutique silk fair paper with blue-colored back, 350 gsm paper Signed, dated, and numbered 29/30 on the front by Mel Bochner Frame included: elegantly framed in a museum quality white wood frame with UV plexiglass is included Measurements: Framed: 12.5 inches x 30 inches x .5 inch Artwork: 10.5 inches x 28 inches Published by Two Palms Press Bibliography Catalogue Raisonné of Editioned Prints Krakow Witkin...
Screen
Live Each Day As If It Were Your First
By David Shrigley
Located in Manchester, GB
David Shrigley, I Can Sing For You, 2022 Hand-signed and dated on the reverse Edition 76 of 125 75 x 56 cm Screenprint in colours Private Collection UK
Screen
$238
H 19.89 in W 25.2 in D 0.04 in
Landscapes of Autumn - Screen Print by Rolandi - 1980s
By Rolandi (Maurizio Coccia)
Located in Roma, IT
Screen print realized by the italian painter Rolandi, in the 1980s. Hand signed in pencil on the lower right margin. Artist's proof (as reported in the lower left margin) Dry stam...
Screen
Lobster, Pop Art Screenprint by Hunt Slonem
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Hunt Slonem Title: Lobster Year: 1980 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 250; AP 30 Image: 19 x 19 inches Paper Size: 22 x 30 inches
Screen
$179
H 19.69 in W 35.44 in D 0.04 in
Wildflowers - Screen Print by L. Rossi Garzione - Late 20th century
By Luigino Rossi Garzione
Located in Roma, IT
Hand signed and numbered. Edition of 150 prints. Excellent condition.
Screen
Faithful Companion, Samode Palace, 2020
By Karen Knorr
Located in New York, NY
Listing includes framing with UV plexi ($1,700 value), free shipping to the continental USA, and a 14-day return policy. Also available for local pick up from our New York gallery. A Faithful...
Photographic Paper, Color, Pigment, Archival Pigment
Ai Weiwei - Cedar - Printer's Proof - tree
By Ai Weiwei
Located in London, GB
Cedar, 2022 Screenprint on Somerset Velvet Antique 280gsm hand-signed and numbered 52.6 x 44.2 cm - Framed 48 x 38 cm - sheet Printer's Proof - Edition 1 of 3 To commemorate Ai Weiw...
Screen
Sold
H 18.71 in W 14.97 in
AI WEIWEI CEDAR (SMALL) Chinese Contemporary Modern Activism Tree Tradition Ink
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Ai Weiwei - CEDAR (SMALL) Date of creation: 2022 Medium: Screenprint on Somerset Velvet Antique paper Edition: 150 Size: 47.5 x 38 cm Condition: In mint conditions, brand new and ne...
Paper, Screen
Sold
H 9.88 in W 9.88 in D 0.02 in
Ai WeiWei 'Year of the Dragon (2024)' Lithograph Print
By Ai Weiwei
Located in San Rafael, CA
Ai Weiwei (b. 1957) Year of the Dragon (2024) From the series Dragon II Lithograph on Madrid Litho White 140gsm paper Edition 147/1500 Signed in plate Published and printed by #circa...
Lithograph
Middle Finger in Red
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Calabasas, CA
Artist: Ai Weiwei Title: Middle Finger in Red Year: 2023 Medium: 2 colour silkscreen print on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized Satin White paper Edition: 1285; signed in pencil Sheet: 23 3/...
Screen
Sold
H 27.76 in W 21.86 in
AI WEIWEI - CEDAR (LARGE) Chinese Modern Activism Tree Tradition Ink White
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Ai Weiwei CEDAR (LARGE) Date of creation: 2022 Medium: Screenprint on Somerset Velvet Antique paper Edition: 50 Size: 70.5 x 55.5 cm Condition: In mint conditions, brand new and nev...
Paper, Screen
Cedar (small)
By Ai Weiwei
Located in London, GB
Cedar (small), 2022 Screenprint on Somerset Velvet Antique 280gsm hand-signed and numbered 47.5 x 38 cm Edition 64 of 150 To commemorate Ai Weiwei’s gift of a tree sculpture, Cedar, 2022, to Downing...
Screen
Sold
H 27.76 in W 21.86 in
AI WEIWEI - CEDAR (LARGE) Chinese Modern Activism Tree Tradition Ink White
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Ai Weiwei CEDAR (LARGE) Date of creation: 2022 Medium: Screenprint on Somerset Velvet Antique paper Edition: 50 Size: 70.5 x 55.5 cm Condition: In mint conditions, brand new and nev...
Paper, Screen
Sold
H 27.76 in W 21.86 in
AI WEIWEI - CEDAR (LARGE) Chinese Modern Activism Tree Tradition Ink White
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Ai Weiwei CEDAR (LARGE) Date of creation: 2022 Medium: Screenprint on Somerset Velvet Antique paper Edition: 50 Size: 70.5 x 55.5 cm Condition: In mint conditions, brand new and nev...
Paper, Screen
Sold
H 27.76 in W 21.86 in
AI WEIWEI - CEDAR (LARGE) Chinese Modern Activism Tree Tradition Ink White
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Ai Weiwei CEDAR (LARGE) Date of creation: 2022 Medium: Screenprint on Somerset Velvet Antique paper Edition: 50 Size: 70.5 x 55.5 cm Condition: In mint conditions, brand new and nev...
Paper, Screen
Sold
H 27.76 in W 21.86 in
AI WEIWEI - CEDAR (LARGE) Chinese Modern Activism Tree Tradition Ink White
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Ai Weiwei CEDAR (LARGE) Date of creation: 2022 Medium: Screenprint on Somerset Velvet Antique paper Edition: 50 Size: 70.5 x 55.5 cm Condition: In mint conditions, brand new and nev...
Paper, Screen
Sold
H 27.76 in W 21.86 in
AI WEIWEI - CEDAR (LARGE) Chinese Modern Activism Tree Tradition Ink White
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Ai Weiwei CEDAR (LARGE) Date of creation: 2022 Medium: Screenprint on Somerset Velvet Antique paper Edition: 50 Size: 70.5 x 55.5 cm Condition: In mint conditions, brand new and nev...
Paper, Screen
Sold
H 13.5 in W 17 in
Cats (Red), original silkscreen, hand signed 87/150 with official & gallery COAs
By Ai Weiwei
Located in New York, NY
Ai Weiwei Cats (Red), 2022 Screen print on Saunders Waterford 300gsm paper Hand signed, dated, and numbered 87/150 by Ai Weiwei on the front 13 1/2 × 17 inches Unframed This print was originally published by Kettle's Yard - before it rapidly sold out. It is accompanied by the Certificate of Authenticity issued by the publisher to the original owner. The print was editioned by master printer, Kip Gresham at The Print Studio, Cambridge for Kettle's Yard. It was made using an original drawing ‘cut’ into an acrylic sheet. The image is then reversed when printed. Description from the publisher: "Drawing has been fundamental to Ai Weiwei’s artistic practice from an early age. He also has a longstanding love of cats, and they appear frequently in the artist’s social media posts. Many cats used to roam his studio in Beijing. As part of the Kettle’s Yard exhibition, Ai’s ‘Cats wallpaper’ (2015) will be displayed in the Castle Street window. This artwork was originally exhibited as ‘Studio Cats’ in the exhibition Andy Warhol / Ai Weiwei at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, reflecting both artists’ mutual love of cats. For Kettle’s Yard, the drawing of Maple and Birch has been inserted among the other cats depicted on the wallpaper." Quote from Ai Weiwei: "I like cats very much because of their independent character, alertness and understanding of human beings; I have feelings approximating to reverence for them. Cats have been regarded as psychic animals since ancient times, no matter in China or ancient Greece. What’s even more interesting is that if a selfie of mine would be seen by 100 people, a cat photo...
Screen, Pencil