My childhood was quite extreme. Sometimes I was so weak I could not stand up. But now I am so strong. Life is unpredictable

I don't think my father had a direct influence on me, but I do think, more or less, I was influenced by his independent individualism. And the kind of condition he had when he was in this society - the kind of mistreatment society gave him.

My typical day is I wake up and appreciate that I can still wake up.

I don't believe in a sense of home.

The whole Chinese system - not just the political leadership, the military too, the whole power structure, our education system, the whole of society - is suffering from being cut off from the free flow of information. That's why the country can't face up to open competition - unless it resorts to measures like North Korea.

I lived there [ in New York City] as an artist, but never as a Chinese artist.

If human rights are supposed to have any meaning, then they have to be discussed openly.