Sheng Qi: Madness, Appropriation

For the past 20 years, Chinese artist Sheng Qi has been creating remarkable works of art in diverse media, approximately 100 of which are showcased here in full color. A prevalent theme in his work has been the study of the body: of body language and its culture. (When he left Beijing in 1989, he cut the little finger off of his left hand and buried it in a flower pot.) Since returning to China after completing his artistic studies in London, he has been selected to participate in the Nippon International Performance Festival, and the recent International Center of Photography exhibition, Between Past and Future, where his photographic work was selected for the cover of the exhibition catalogue. He is also one of the few artists in China to concern himself with AIDS and to become involved in local awareness campaigns.