"Xu Bing (born 1955) stands out as a leading figure in the international art world. His works and installation pieces, including Ghosts Pounding the Wall (an actual rubbing of the Great Wall done at Jinshanling in 1990) and Wu Street (1993), and his ongoing exploration of language have brought worldwide attention to this unassuming provocateur."

"Featuring works in Square Word Calligraphy, his whimsical, invented style of writing, The Art of Xu Bing traces the calligrapher's career and provides illustrations and in-depth descriptions of his works, which have been shown from Finland to Australia and the United States. Author and art historian Britta Erickson leads this look into Xu Bing's development as a significant international artist, and Xu Bing himself contributes a chapter on his life and work."--Jacket.