Xu Bing was born in Chongqing, China in 1955 and grew up in Beijing. In 1975, he was relocated to the countryside for two years during the Cultural Revolution. In 1977, he enrolled in the Central Academy of Fine Art in Beijing, where he studied printmaking. He received an MFA from the Central Academy in 1987. In 1990, he moved to the United States and he still lives there today, making his home in Brooklyn, New York. In July of 1999, Xu Bing was awarded the MacArthur Award for Genius by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in recognition of his originality, creativity, self-direction, and capacity to contribute importantly to society, particularly in printmaking and calligraphy.