The Studio of Exhaustion project is named for the Studio of Exhaustion from Diligent Service, a building in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, which is a complex of buildings in the northeastern corner of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Qianlong Emperor, having reigned for many years, began building a retirement retreat in anticipation of his abdication. Qianlong vowed that "if the Heavens blessed him to be on the throne for 60 years," he would retire out of respect so as not to outreign his beloved grandfather Kang'xi, China's longest-reigning emperor. However, Qianlong never retired and never inhabited his modest retirement hall.

Clifton Meador combines writing, photography, printmaking, and design to make books that explore how the narratives of culture, history, and place are the basis for identity.

His work is in many collections, including the Library of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Yale Art of the Book collection.