Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei, in my humble opinion, is possibly one of the most forward-thinking, boundary pushing artists of our time. 

He's not merely a creator of art, but he's also a political activist who's ruffled more than a few feathers. In 2011 he was arrested at Beijing Airport for "economic crimes" without any actual charges being filed. He's previously  investigated the Chinese government for corruption and cover ups. 

When he lived in New York, he began to create conceptual art as well as taking up photography. The photos he took during that time is now know as a collection called The New York Photographs. Be sure to check them out. 

His father was the noted poet Ai Quing who was also friends with Allen Ginsberg, who Ai JR went on to befriend. 

Check out some of his most notable work below.