Qubao houshen

I was so happy to find out this week that Ai Weiwei had been released, but sad to learn that he isn't allowed to speak freely. Of course, I cannot presume to understand the complexities of Chinese culture or it's laws, but it seems to me that if you use terms like "sovereign country under the rule of law" you are implying that it's not much fun to live there. "Sovereign" is after all, another term for Monarch.


I had been working on this portrait sculpture of Mr. Ai when I heard the news.  Next I will paint it and begin to use it in a number of ways which I have yet to determine. After doing the painting of him, and now the sculpture, I began to forget the controversy and all the noise surrounding him and went back to simply figuring out the elements that make him look the way he does. It's really a very interesting face to consider, with shades of intensity, joy and wisdom about it. Can't wait to see what he does next. 
 

Update: Here is the finished and painted head