Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In April 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport for "economic crimes," and detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.

28 August 1957

Born on the same birth date (28 August 1957): Daniel Stern (actor) • Greg Clark • Ivo Josipović

Born on the same birth day (28 August): C. Wright Mills • Graham Berry • Jason Priestley • Jeff Green (basketball) • John Shirley-Quirk • Lidia Gueiler • Lindsay Hassett • Marianne Heemskerk • Paul Allen (footballer) • Paul Martin • Takahito Eguchi • Vonda N. McIntyre

Born in the same month (August 1957): Bodo Rudwaleit • Brooks D. Simpson • Christine Soetewey • Daire Brehan • Faith Prince • Finlay Calder • Frank Pastore • Gary Chapman (musician) • Glenn Tilbrook • Ian Gould • Ian Stuart Donaldson • Jeff Grubb • Paul Johnson (American football) • Peter Costello • R. R. Patil • Ron Strykert • Sorin Antohi • Stephen Fry • Tan Dun • Tasos Mitropoulos