The Chinese Contemporary Art Awards (CCAA) were founded by Uli Sigg in 1997 as a nonprofit entity to honor talented contemporary Chinese artists and enhance the position of Chinese contemporary art both domestically and internationally.

In 2008, the artist from Beijing Liu Wei, recognized for the Best Artist award, challenged the limitations of experience and the standard of discourse implied by the language of international contemporary art. His installation and conceptual work has achieved great success in terms of representing China in the international art scene. The other two winning artists are Ai Weiwei, with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Tseng Yu-chin, with the Best Young Artist award.

Liu Wei was one of the five Chinese artists representing the PRC at the Venice Biennale in 2005, the first year China participated in its own pavilion. The inaugural exhibition of London's Saatchi Gallery, entitled "The Revolution Continues: New Art From China" , features 24 of the country's leading artists including Liu Wei, Zhang Huan, Zeng Fanzhi, Zhan Wang, Zhang Xiaogang and Yue Minjun. Mingsheng Art Museum in Shanghai held a solo exhibition for this renowned artist from March to May 2011 that confirmed his influence in the art circle.

Created in 2003, Liu Wei's painting "Pixilation" was one of two paintings only executed in this style. The rare piece approaches ideas of contemporary urban development and catches freeze-frame moment. Composed by many blurred lights dots, the painting shows future feeling and foresees his latter series of stylized skyscraper cityscapes.