Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei pays tribute to a kindred serpentine spirit.

The second silkscreen in a series inspired by the Chinese Zodiac coincides with the Year of the Snake. Weiwei considers the snake an unduly derided creature – often feared and, like himself, liable to be misrepresented or misunderstood. In Weiwei’s depictions, such as monumental sculptures made from the school bags of earthquake victims or the life jackets of refugees, the snake becomes a conduit for truth.

Combat fear with truth is a precise 5-colour silkscreen created in close collaboration with printmakers at Make-Ready in London. Strategic overprinting, 10 layers in total, enhances the vivacity of each colour and adds depth to the surface of the artwork.