Who is Ai Vaywei and what Ukrainian truth is here

To its 25th anniversary « Ukrainian Truth » released a limited series Merch for the members of the UP Club Community. Don Quixote’s illustration created one of The most famous contemporary artists Ai Weivay.

Up. Culture He tells who Ai Weivay is, why he became popular in the world and how the artist agreed to cooperate with Ukrainian truth.

Ai Wevey is called the most influential artist of the world, including his political position, which can not all contemporary artists. He condemns China’s communist policy, supports Ukraine and works with the topics of freedom, human rights, fight against dictatorship and censorship in his artistic practice.

A symbol of hope and freedom

Last year, Ai Vuewei presented an exhibition dedicated to Don Quixote, an eternal seeker of truth, which became a symbol of the UP since its foundation.

The work was noticed by the editor -in -chief of Ukrainian Truth Sevgil Musayeva and decided together with CEO of UP Andriy Boborikin to try to contact the artist:

”What was our astonishment when Ai Weiwei isn’t just He answered, but in the next letter he agreed because he understands the importance of independent journalism for the development of any democracy and country,  » – shared Sevgil.

The catalog to the same exhibition states that the image of Don Quixote is very important for the artist since childhood, and he turned to him in his early works.

”And on the birthdays of the UE this year, it was mentioned that Gongadze personally suggested using this image in the design of the site. That’s how the fabric of culture works – the joint code combines Cervantes, Pikacso, Ai Wewee, the history and present of Ukrainian journalism« , – added Andrei Boborikin.

Ai Wewy and Ukraine

In addition to the Jubilee UP, the artist repeatedly turned to the theme of Ukraine and the Russian-Ukrainian war. His sculpture « Ark », created in 2017, according to the artist, became new after the start of a full -scale invasion in Ukraine.

It is a 12-meter sculpture, similar to a cage, with recesses in the form of two human figures.

The Ark’s sculpture presented in Stockholm since 2022

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”First, it was about racism and global refugee crises caused by regional instability. Since then, we have experienced a pandemic, have passed through isolation and witnessed how vulnerable life is.

Now the war between Russia and Ukraine forced five to six millions of people to leave their homes« , – told Ai Vuewei by The Art Newspaper.

In 2022, shortly after the start of a full -scale invasion, Ai Weivey showed his retrospective exhibition in Vienna.

”Russia’s invasion of Ukraine showed a « shaky foundation » of democracy« , – told artist and expressed fears for « ours … the so -called peaceful life since the Second World War« .

« Wheat field with crows » Ai Wevei

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Together with more than 350 authors, artists, celebrities and thinkers, Ai Weiwei signed A public letter to politicians calling against Putin’s aggression.

In 2024, at his solo exhibition, Vuewei presented a painting « Wheat Field with Raven », inspired by Van Gogh. Instead of crows on it – FPV -arose, with which Ukrainians are fighting with Russian invaders.

Censorship, corruption and international exhibitions

It all started shortly after the artist was born. Due to the fact that the father of Wevei, the poet, the price was sent to exile, he had to grow in labor camps in the northwest of China.

Watching the brutal communist policies and persecution of his father by the state car, Ai became a critic of Chinese power and human rights defender.

In 2008, he introduced his own investigation into corruption in the Chinese government. After the earthquake in the Sichuan province, in which thousands of children were killed through the collapse of poor quality schools, Ai Weivay launched an independent investigation. He accused officials of corruption and concealment of the real scale of tragedy. In response, he was beaten, arrested and persecuted.

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In 2011, the artist was arrested at Beijing Airport and kept in custody for 81 days in a fabricated business related to his political activities. The same year of the Chinese dissident recognized The most influential artist of the world.

During his imprisonment, the idea came to write memoirs. The Ukrainian edition called « 1000 years of joy and sadness », published in Arthussi Publishing House, has become one of the first international translations.

Ai Weivay and his retrospective exhibition in Vienna in 2022

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In 2015, Ai Wewi left China. Since then, he moved to Europe – he lives in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.

The works of Ai Wevey are stored in the collections of leading museums in the world, including the center of George Pompidu in Paris, Lacma, the Museum of Solomon Guggenheim, Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, Tate Gallery in the United Kingdom.