Zodiac

<b>In this beautifully illustrated and deeply philosophical graphic memoir legendary artist Ai Weiwei explores the connection between artistic expression and intellectual freedom through the lens of the Chinese zodiac.</b><br><br>As a child living in exile during the Cultural Revolution Ai Weiwei often found himself with nothing to read but government-approved comic books. Although they were restricted by the confines of political propaganda Ai Weiwei was struck by the artists’ ability to express their thoughts on art and humanity through graphic storytelling. Now decades later Ai Weiwei and Italian comic artist Gianluca Costantini present <i>Zodiac</i> Ai Weiwei’s first graphic memoir.<br><br>Inspired by the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac and their associated human characteristics Ai Weiwei masterfully interweaves ancient Chinese folklore with stories of his life family and career. The narrative shifts back and forth through the years—at once in the past present and future—mirroring memory and our relationship to time. As readers delve deeper into the beautifully illustrated pages of <i>Zodiac</i> they will find not only a personal history of Ai Weiwei and an examination of the sociopolitical climate in which he makes his art but a philosophical exploration of what it means to find oneself through art and freedom of expression.<br><br>Contemplative and political <i>Zodiac </i>will inspire readers to return again and again to Ai Weiwei’s musings on the relationship between art time and our shared humanity. “The internationally renowned Chinese artist recalls a life of resistance and oppression . . . A welcome introduction to the life and work of an exemplary artist.”<b><i>—Kirkus Reviews </i>starred review</b><br><br>“Poignant meditative . . . This is a sage and inventive embroidery of philosophy family memoir and cultural history.”<b><i>—Publishers Weekly</i></b> <b>Ai Weiwei</b> leads a diverse and prolific practice that encompasses sculptural installation filmmaking photography ceramics painting writing and social media. Born in Beijing China in 1957 he is a conceptual artist who fuses traditional craftsmanship and his Chinese heritage moving freely between a variety of formal languages to reflect on contemporary geopolitical and sociopolitical conditions. Ai Weiwei’s work and life regularly interact and inform one another often extending to his activism and advocacy for international human rights.<br><b> </b><br><b>Elettra Stamboulis </b>is a Greek Italian writer and art curator. She has written numerous graphic novels and comics articles that have published in many languages around the world. She specializes in reality-based comics and has curated European exhibitions of the work of Joe Sacco and Marjane Satrapi. As a curator her work is dedicated to the promotion of artists at risk and she recently has curated exhibitions of work by Zehra Doğan Badiucao and Victoria Lomasko.<br><br><b>Gianluca Costantini</b> is an Italian cartoonist comic journalist and activist. He has contributed to numerous publications and is the author of several graphic novels. He is well known for his drawing related to human rights campaigns all over the world. He collaborates with organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists ActionAid and SOS Méditerranée. In 2019 he received the Art and Human Rights Award from Amnesty International.