Chinese artist Ai Weiwei rages against state abuses in 'Dumbass' song

Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei has released an expletive-ridden heavy metal music video criticising abuses of state power in China.

The track, given the English-language title 'Dumbass', reconstructs his 81-day detention in 2011, including what he says is an exact model of his cell, reports BBC News.

The video shows impassive prison guards accompanying Ai as he eats, sleeps, showers and even sits on the toilet.

Ai himself sings the lyrics, few of which are fit to print. Therefore, it is no surprise that the song and video are being blocked on the Chinese internet - along with the search term "Ai Weiwei".

The video - shot by famed Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle - opens with Ai in a hood marked "criminal" which is whipped off. Images of Ai undergoing the mundane activities of daily prison life are interspersed with surreal shots, including a toilet full of crabs, and other animals.

Guards are shown dancing with lingerie-clad women and the video culminates with Ai shaving his head and appearing in women's clothes and heavy make-up.

Ai says his experience of detention still causes him nightmares, and that writing the song was a form of therapy.

Ai, who authorities say was detained for tax evasion, later tried unsuccessfully to mount a legal challenge against a 2.4 million-dollar state bill for back taxes.

Ai now says he is unable to travel outside of China as authorities have taken his passport.

He plans to release a hard-rock album titled The Divine Comedy later in the year.