Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei will present an exhibition of ceramic sculptures inspired by the theme of freedom of expression at the São Roque Too Gallery in Lisbon, starting on May 15.
Under the title “Paradigm”, the exhibition, with 17 works, also includes a new series of portraits with LEGO, which the artist began using in 2014, when he worked with a material associated with play to produce portraits of political prisoners.
Ai Weiwei, an artist based in Portugal, “often revisits porcelain as a means of telling a story that is often based on the idea of transliteration,” says Galeria São Roque in a statement about the show, which will be on view until July 31.
“Freedom of Speech Puzzle” (2014), a work consisting of a map of China represented in parts, adorned with the expression “Freedom of Speech”, is also one of the key works in the exhibition, which also highlights the themes of social and political tension, authenticity, value and craftsmanship.
The ceramic sculptures reflect the artist’s reinterpretation of traditional Chinese porcelain techniques fired in Jingdezhen, the epicenter of porcelain production in China since the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).
“Remains” (2014) presents a porcelain reproduction of human bones given to the artist after an archaeological excavation of an active labor camp in the 1950s.
In 2023, Ai Weiwei, who lives in Montemor-o-Novo, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Évora, which distinguished him for being “one of the most outstanding cultural figures of his generation, and a symbol of freedom of expression both in China and internationally,” the institution said at the time.
Born in Beijing, China, in 1957, Ai Weiwei has developed his work in sculptural installation, cinema, photography, ceramics, painting, writing and has exhibited in institutions and biennials around the world.
