  | On the tip of a wave : how Ai Weiwei's art is changing the tide Author: Ho, Joanna | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
The story behind Ai Weiwei's Lifejackets exhibit at Konzerthaus Berlin. As conditions for refugees got worse, Ai Weiwei was inspired by the discarded lifejackets on the shores of Lesbos to create a bold installation that would grab the attention of the world.
| Illustrator: | Chien, Catia |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (07/01/23)
School Library Journal (+) (10/01/23)
Booklist (+) (12/01/23)
The Hornbook (00/11/23)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 10/01/2023 PreS-Gr 3—Ai Weiwei is an artist born in China during the late 1950s, when government officials were trying to rid the country of academic individuals who didn't approve of the way they ran the country. Left with his family to live in a labor camp, Weiwei learned to survive by drawing and sculpting on the dirt walls of the hole his family inhabited in the desert. In his 20s, Weiwei was able to move to the United States to study art, only returning to China to be with his ailing father. Noticing a stark difference between China and the U.S. surprised Weiwei. He began creating art that spoke about humanity, namely refugees. Illustrated in pencil, pastels, and the use of digital, this book boasts the orange, blue, and white of the life vests worn by the refugees as they traveled by sea to seek solace in a new land where very few were welcomed. Back matter explains in detail about Weiwei's life and work. Inspiration is sprinkled throughout as the illustrator weaves examples of Weiwei's work on every page. "Establishing the understanding that we all belong to one humanity is the most essential step for how we might continue to coexist on the sphere we call Earth." VERDICT An outstanding biography of an important artist whose work challenges us to change the way we look at other human beings. This will guide deep discussions on borders and the plight of so many people around the world.—Tracy Cronce - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 10/15/2023 *Starred Review* In the opening scene of this picture-book biography that is full of symbolism and challenging issues, blues dominate the mixture of fear and hope as refugees from Turkey float unsteadily to Greece. Ho (Say My Name, 2023) describes their plight in lyrical text that travels outward from the spread’s center on the same waves as the refugees. One man, Ai Weiwei, a Chinese contemporary artist, notices the neon mountain of orange life jackets left behind when the refugees land. Throughout the pencil-and-pastel illustrations, this orange contrasts prominently against the blue. From here, the text and muted scenes transition to Ai’s childhood spent in a labor camp after his father was exiled by the Chinese government. These harsh conditions and his own displacement from China influenced Ai to create art from such common objects as a coat hanger, shoe, violin, or LEGOs, challenging viewers to see the world differently and recognize human rights. Examples of his unusual social-justice displays lead to one of his most provocative art installations, Safe Passages, in which he wrapped the pillars of a German concert house with life jackets salvaged from the Turkish refugees to draw attention to their struggles. Back matter with photographs of Ai and more of his art fill in details about his background and mission. Visually stunning and thought provoking. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
