Ai Weiwei and his family suffered the effects of dictatorship early on when his father, poet Ai Qing was sent to the rural northwest during the Cultural Revolution, part of Mao’s effort to consolidate power in the 1960-70s. Formerly a University Professor, his father was “reeducated,” leaving the family in poverty. In 1978, Ai returned to the capital to study animation at the Beijing Film Academy. He soon became a founding member of the early avant-garde art collective “Stars,” composed of practitioners like Ma Desheng, Qu Leilei, Ah Cheng, Wang Keping, Li Shuang, Mao Lizi, and Huang Rui.
From 1981 to 1993, Ai studied and practiced in the U.S., mostly in New York City. Returning to China to be with his ill father, he joined the experimental artists’ collective, Beijing East Village. His self-designed studio/house led to his founding the architecture studio FAKE Design, which was tapped to build the Beijing National Stadium, commonly called the “Bird’s Nest,” co-designed with Basel-based Herzog & de Meuron. The CCP was intent on creating a first world, globally impressive display for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, particularly opening night, the ceremonies of which were directed by award-winning filmmaker Zhang Yimou and featured the fireworks of artist Cai Guo-qiang.