Guardian

Self-satire meets studied symbolism in a silkscreen print by Ai Weiwei.

In Chinese tradition, the Door God is placed at an entrance or threshold to protect those inside from harm. By casting himself as this totemic figure, Weiwei draws parallels with his life as an artist, acknowledges his symbolic presence in global consciousness, and seeks 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 the textured surfaces of Weiwei’s concrete and porcelain sculptures in silkscreen form. Gold ink ‘overloaded’ with metallic pigment and glitter is applied to the paper as a solid layer, then masked by a layer of vibrant red which reveals the intricate artwork in negative space. 

Guardian will be available to order for 24 hours only on Thursday 15 February. Find out more and set a reminder.