Ma Liuming Born in Huangshi, Hubei province, where he graduated from the Oil Department of the Hubei Academy of Fine Arts in 1991. Although his oevre includes oil paintings, photography and multimedia, he is particularly renown for the type of performance art for which 'The Suicide Plan', 1988, shot him to the forefront of Chinese contemporary art. Since the inception of his androgynous alter-ego 'Fen-Ma Liuming' in his performance pieces from 1994, Ma's work has attracted such worldwide media attention that he has been invited to a multitude of international exhibitions and now enjoys an avant-garde reputation. Ma is also particularly noteworthy for his involvement in setting up the Beijing East Village, which is a landmark event in the history of Chinese contemporary art and the most experimental art space in China.