Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is an unlikely hometown hero in a country famous for its purges of artists. Ai’s father, a famous poet, was the victim of such a purge, and the family spent most of Weiwei’s childhood in “reeducation camps” scattered across the Gobi Desert. But this year, the artist has found new fame in China for his contribution to the design of the country’s new Olympic Stadium. But fierce criticism of the design has been emanating from Chinese architecture circles, largely due to the involvement of European design firms.