Even though everybody who looked at me would call me a Chinese artist, that's the 1980s. New York in the '80s was not so interesting. I think it's quite narrow-minded. There wasn't much encouragement or opportunities for any artist - not just Chinese artists.

If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is 'art' for?

Historically, China is not a nation of sportsmen. We traditionally put more emphasis on being close to nature than pushing endlessly to excel. A philosophy that values tranquil contemplation of the landscape cannot easily be adapted to the Olympic slogan of 'higher, stronger, faster.'

If people are being abused or even killed during an arrest, this is highly disturbing.

Twitter is most suitable for me. In the Chinese language, 140 characters is a novella.

I never think any place is better than others.

We move so fast that memory is something we can only grasp