Ai Weiwei

 Ai Weiwei 

 Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn 1995

Han Dynasty with Coca-Cola Logo 1994

Ai Weiwei is not only a very cutting-edge contemporary artist but also a political activist and social observer. In such a communist and restricted environment as China, he risks his personal freedom to create art that speaks for many people's will. Many of his works are controversial and bold, bold enough to put him in jail. Nevertheless, he still insists to make arts that represents and fights for his and many others' freedom. 

For instance, his 1995 piece called "Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn"(second picture above) is a documentation of his protest against the imperial political system of China. Breaking such valuable piece of art in history is a way of breaking the history. By capturing and presenting this action in public, Ai Weiwei proposed a way out for people restricted under and want to break from the imperial government construction.

I believe that Ai Weiwei's bold and artistic approach is a very clever and elegant way of showing his urge for freedom and a better living condition. Not only that it is easier for people to understand but also that it attracts international attention.      

Brooklyn Museum Exhibition Review

El Anatsui

The artist shows his own identity and personal experience through his artwork. The works are actually representation of his identity because the materials and pattern are related to the artist’s identity. The works show the artist’s multiple and nomadic identity. The artworks consist of found objects from where the artist has lived or stayed. The wall pieces are enlarged version of tribal textiles that represents the identity of a tribe. The artists chose this way to represent his version of his tribal pattern. Instead of being hung flat on the wall. The works are very three-dimensional and interactive with the space around it. It shows a path of history and personal experience of the artist. Every piece is almost like a piece of a memory map, they are puzzled together to form the artist’s personality and identity. 

Transformation

The transformation is a serious of ritual and tribal objects from Native American tribes. The artists are from multiple different Native American tribes. They created these sculptural and textile objects to represent their tribe or for ritual purpose. Certain groups of object are very distinctive that they have particular patterns or facial features that are very stylized. These objects are not only representations of the artists’ personal identity but also a general message transformation from birth, live, death to afterlife.

Transformation

 'A Brave Teenage Boy Saved Many Lives From Wildfire'

Final Product:

Process

Storyboard: 

 Colorado Wildfire 

 J.D. Tennapel

J.D Tennapel hospitalized after the wildfire

A 15-year-old schoolboy risked his life to save his elderly neighbours from perishing in the fierce Colorado wildfire that burned 60 acres and forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes.

J.D. Tennapel, from Cedaredge, Colorado, remains in Delta County Memorial Hospital with second-degree burns to his arms, legs and back after his selfless act on Friday.

The eighth-grader revealed today how he saw thick black smoke rising up the road and jumped on his all-terrain vehicle to alert his neighbours without hesitation.

After knocking on as many doors as he could, J.D. was preparing to make his way back down to his home when he saw that flames had started coming towards him.

But by this point, the fire had become more and more aggressive, and the flames began to engulf his ATV.

But his heroism did not stop there. As the teen was carried away in an ambulance, his mind was occupied by one elderly woman he had not managed to reach in time. 

He told paramedics where she lived and they were able to save her, even though her barn was burned down.

Inspiration: 

people survived, elderly neighbor

 Door Knock

Wooden Design