Ai Weiwei Limited Edition Artist Button

Ai Weiwei Limited Edition Artist Button

Ai Weiwei
Gold Button (PLA), 2023
Hallmarked solid sterling silver with 24ct gold plating
Button diameter 25mm
In an edition of 250

Each button has been hand sewn onto an A5 card which is numbered, dated and signed by the artist and presented in a bespoke box designed by A Practice for Everyday Life.

Ai Weiwei has recreated the mass-produced buttons found on the uniforms of China’s People’s Liberation Army in gold-plated sterling silver. This new work corresponds with other works by the artist in which everyday objects are re-made in precious materials, questioning their meaning, value and status. Ai Weiwei’s gold buttons are manufactured by Firmin & Sons Ltd – a company established in 1655 and the official supplier of buttons to the British royal family since the reign of George II.

Buttons hold great personal significance for Ai Weiwei. During his secret detention in Beijing in 2011, he was under constant surveillance by two guards from the People’s Liberation Army who wore golden buttons on their uniforms. Ai recalls: ‘I was instructed not to look at the guards’ faces, so I focused on their buttons, which have been revered from my birth until today as symbols of the unassailable dignity of the army and the honour of the country.’

Known for both his art and activism, Ai Weiwei uses a range of mediums, including architecture, installation, documentary, writing and social media, to examine contemporary society and geopolitics.

Part of the Artists Buttons project by Kettle's Yard

Important information

This item is being sold as part of Artists for Kettle’s Yard, an exhibition raising money for the Jim & Helen Ede Fund. We aim to dispatch all artworks within 2 weeks of purchase using DHL signed and tracked service. You will receive a notification by email once your order is dispatched. Alternatively, the artwork can be collected from Kettle's Yard. Please contact afky@kettlesyard.cam.ac.uk to arrange a collection date, or if you have any other queries regarding your order.

Please note purchases of limited edition artworks must not exceed £8,500 per customer. We reserve the right to cancel any order(s) exceeding this amount.