Chinese contemporary artist Wang Ziwei is best known for his political pop paintings. His work is a mix of American and Chinese Pop Art and often features images of Mao. By integrating the portraits of the famous Chinese leader, the artist creates a new intercultural visual language giving it an entirely new context. Ziwei draws inspiration from Western pop and cartoon icons like Mickey Mouse and artworks by renowned masters such as Andy Warhol's Marilyn and Roy Lichtenstein's works.

Wang Ziwei was born in 1963 in Shanghai. In 1983 he graduated from the Shanghai Academy of Art and Design. He went on to work in an advertising agency until 1992, when he decided to quit his job and dedicate his time to painting. One year later, his work was exhibited in a group show entitled New Art from China, Post-1989 at Marlborough Gallery in London.

However, even before he decided to pursue an art career, Ziwei had created several works that were distinctly different than his now-established style. Between 1988 and 1989, he produced a series of paintings inspired by playing cards, such as Play Poker (1988) and K x 3 (1989). Only later, in 1990, he began experimenting with images of Mao. The breakthrough came when he blended Chinese and American Pop Art with his unique style. One of the best examples is the work, Hopeless (2007), in which the artist incorporated the famous painting by Roy Lichtenstein entitled In the Car (1962) with Mao's image loaming over the couple in the car.

Wang Ziwei participated in numerous group shows throughout his career. In 2017 he showcased his work in an exhibition, Posers at Pékin Fine Arts in Beijing, in 2015 in Post Pop: East Meets West at Saatchi Gallery in London and Garden Of Forking Paths - Tracks And Intersections Of 15 Artists at Shanghai Gallery of Art.

Wang Ziwei currently lives and works between Vancouver and Shanghai.