1k Years of Joys and Sorrows: Chinese artist reflects on life in exile

? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

1k Years of Joys and Sorrows: A Memoir by Ai Weiwei. Politically exiled from China with his family, Ai Weiwei was raised in Little Siberia, while his father, a recognized poet, was punished for being a rightist during the Cultural Revolution — sentenced to hard labor for the rest of his life. Ai Weiwei delves into a stream of events from his childhood that eventually led him to become an internationally established artist, and an international human rights activist. Now, he creates art exhibited around the world, and contributes to various iconic architecture, such as the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing. The memoir tackles various concepts that have shaped modern China as we know it today.