Self-satire meets storied symbolism in a silkscreen print by Ai Weiwei.
In Chinese tradition, a Door God is placed at an entrance or threshold to protect those inside from harm. By casting himself as this totemic figure, Weiwei acknowledges his standing in global consciousness, draws parallels with his life as an artist, and attempts to resolve the two.
Familiar motifs nod to the negative influences that Weiwei, in divine form, might ward off – from censorship and propaganda to corruption and surveillance. Red, meanwhile, promises good fortune for the year ahead.
To create the edition, printers at Make-Ready developed a new technique designed to echo a ceramic tile or cast concrete in silkscreen form. Bespoke gold ink 'overloaded' with metallic pigment and glitter is applied to the paper as a solid layer, then veiled by a layer of vibrant red to reveal an intricate illustration in negative space.
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