Gao Xingjian, born in 1940, is a Chinese-born French writer, playwright, and painter, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2000. His career is marked by a relentless pursuit of freedom of expression, which led him to clash with censorship in China. After moving to France as a political refugee in 1987, he was able to freely develop his poetics. His most important works include the novels *Soul Mountain* (1990) and *One Man's Bible* (1999), texts characterized by an experimental and introspective narrative that explore the themes of identity, memory, and the flight from political and social oppression. His theatrical work, such as *Bus Stop*, is equally significant for its formal innovation and the influence of the Theatre of the Absurd. The Nobel Prize was awarded to him "for an œuvre of universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity, which has opened new paths for the Chinese novel and drama." In addition to his writing, he is an internationally acclaimed painter, known for his ink wash landscapes.