Ai Weiwei

Lisson Gallery Milan is proud to announce an exhibition of ceramic and marble works by Ai Weiwei, focusing on an area of his boundless practice that has produced many of his best known works. The exhibition will include a number of ceramics made by Ai Weiwei in 2006 during an intensive working residency in Jingdezhen, the heartland of Chinese ceramic production. The traditional techniques passed on to Ai Weiwei by local craftsmen sparked a radical new direction for the artist and were the genesis of his Sunflowers Seeds installation at Tate Modern. The historical and cultural significance of the materials and techniques Ai Weiwei uses are an essential element of almost all his sculptures. Much of his work with ceramics has involved ready-mades: adapting, painting and destroying valuable ancient urns and vases. In contrast the exhibition at Lisson focuses on sculptures he has created by hand from scratch. IMAGE SHOWN: Ai Weiwei, Watermelon, 2006,Porcelain, Courtesy the artist and Lisson Gallery