MacArthur Fellowship recipient Shen Wei, has been widely celebrated for his sophisticated choreography, lighting designs and minimalist costumes, recognized for his abstract paintings and work in film. Choreographer, director, dancer, painter and designer, Shen Wei is internationally renowned for his cross-cultural, boldly visual movement-based spectacles. He is perhaps best known as the lead choreographer for the Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which won acclaim worldwide. The Washington Post has called Shen Wei "One of the great artists of our time" and The New York Times proclaimed, "If there is something to write home about in the dance world, it is the startlingly imaginative work of the Chinese-born choreographer Shen Wei."