NATIONALBESTSELLER-Inthisbeautifullyillustratedanddeeplyphilosophicalgraphicmemoir,legendaryartistAiWeiweiexplorestheconnectionbetweenartisticexpressionandintellectualfreedomthroughthelensoftheChinesezodiac.AsachildlivinginexileduringtheCulturalRevolution,AiWeiweioftenfoundhimselfwithnothingtoreadbutgovernment-approvedcomicbooks.Althoughtheywererestrictedbytheconfinesofpoliticalpropaganda,AiWeiweiwasstruckbytheartists’abilitytoexpresstheirthoughtsonartandhumanitythroughgraphicstorytelling.Now,decadeslater,AiWeiweiandItaliancomicartistGianlucaCostantinipresentZodiac,AiWeiwei’sfirstgraphicmemoir.InspiredbythetwelvesignsoftheChinesezodiacandtheirassociatedhumancharacteristics,AiWeiweimasterfullyinterweavesancientChinesefolklorewithstoriesofhislife,family,andcareer.Thenarrativeshiftsbackandforththroughtheyears--atonceinthepast,present,andfuture--mirroringmemoryandourrelationshiptotime.AsreadersdelvedeeperintothebeautifullyillustratedpagesofZodiac,theywillfindnotonlyapersonalhistoryofAiWeiweiandanexaminationofthesociopoliticalclimateinwhichhemakeshisart,butaphilosophicalexplorationofwhatitmeanstofindoneselfthroughartandfreedomofexpression.Contemplativeandpolitical,ZodiacwillinspirereaderstoreturnagainandagaintoAiWeiwei’smusingsontherelationshipbetweenart,time,andoursharedhumanity.
