Huang Xiang is considered to be one of the greatest poets of 20th century China and a master calligrapher. Often referred to as "the Walt Whitman of China", Huang Xiang spent over twelve years in Chinese prisons and was tortured and put on death row twice for writing his lyrical, free-spirited poetry and for his advocacy of human rights in China. His inspiring story has been the subject of an award winning PBS documentary and his heroic pursuit for freedom and democracy in China has been documented in the book, 'Coming Alive; China After Mao'. He has been described as a 'poet on fire' a human torch who burns as a lamp of freedom and enlightenment.
"The poems Huang Xiang read to friends during this Cultural Revolution period show that he kept his spirit free while hundreds of millions of his compatriots had theirs enslaved. In one of the darkest nights of the twentieth century, he kept alive within himself his capacity to hope,... and his belief that goodness can never be entirely erased from the heart of man. As his friends listened to his impassioned readings, they realized that this hope, this faith, and this belief were flames burning within him, flames that set him on fire, spiritually, making of him a human torch, which burned as a lamp of freedom and of enlightenment."
- Roger Garside, author of "Coming Alive ; China After Mao"
Huang Xiang's poetry and calligraphy is internationally recognized and he has performed for crowds numbering in the thousands. Huang Xiang says the art he creates with William Rock, "is highly creative and is something that has not been done before." Twenty of his books have been published in several languages.
Huang Xiang's mission today is to use his art to build a bridge between East and West and to promote a universal humanity. After completing a residency with the City of Asylum/Pittsburgh, Huang Xiang and his wife, the writer, Zhang Ling, live in New York City. In 2008, for the first time in eleven years, Huang Xiang returned to China and visited family and friends.