1. Qiu Xiaofei
When he was eight years old, Qiu Xiaofei’s father took him on a day trip to Beijing specifically to see Rauschenberg’s “ROCI China” exhibition. “My dad was always curious about contemporary art,” Qiu recalls. “Although he didn’t understand [the exhibition], he didn’t show rejection at all. This was my first impression about the freedom [of] art.”
After that experience, it’s no surprise that Rauschenberg has had a huge impact on Qiu’s career. In 2013, Qiu titled one of his solo exhibitions “Rauschenberg Said, “The Walking Stick is Longer than the Maulstick, after All” and Rauschenberg’s influence can be seen in the way Qiu moves seamlessly from making paintings to sculptures to installations.