▁in ▁to ▁hard ▁labour ▁as ▁his ▁parents ▁were ▁brand ed ▁capital ists ▁. ▁Later , ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁art ▁director ▁at ▁China ▁Central ▁Television . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁found ing ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁avant - gar de ▁" St ars ▁Group ", ▁together ▁with , ▁Wang ▁K eping , ▁Ma ▁De ▁Sh eng , ▁Ma o ▁L izi , ▁Hu ang ▁R ui , ▁Li ▁Sh u ang , ▁Ah ▁Ch eng ▁and ▁A i ▁Wei wei , ▁Qu ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁exhib itions ▁of ▁contemporary ▁art ▁in ▁China . ▁ ▁After ▁Qu ▁left ▁China , ▁he ▁re located ▁to ▁London ▁to ▁practice ▁his ▁art , ▁lecture ▁and ▁exhib it ▁intern ation ally . ▁His ▁paint ings ▁were ▁exhib ited ▁at ▁a ▁solo ▁display ▁in ▁the ▁Ash m olean ▁Museum ▁at ▁Oxford ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁Ash m olean ▁that ▁a ▁show ▁was ▁devoted ▁sing ly ▁to ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁a ▁living ▁artist . ▁He ▁has ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁solo ▁exhibition ▁at ▁Be ij ings ▁National ▁Gallery ▁and ▁his ▁works ▁have ▁been ▁exhib ited ▁and ▁collected ▁world wide ▁and ▁by ▁museum s ▁including ▁the ▁British ▁Museum ▁and ▁the ▁V & A ▁in ▁London . ▁His ▁work ▁at ▁the ▁British ▁museum ▁is ▁now ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁permanent ▁collection ▁and ▁this ▁was ▁marked ▁with ▁a ▁sym pos ium ▁about ▁himself ▁and ▁the ▁Stars ▁movement ▁and ▁his ▁work . ▁ ▁Also ▁in ▁ 2 0 0