Chinese Artist Gao Zhen Gets 3-Year Prison Sentence for Mao Sculptures
Prosecutors used sculptures depicting the Chinese Communist Party founder repenting and aiming fire at Jesus in evidence.
Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen, 70, has been sentenced to three years in prison for his sculptures depicting communist revolutionary and leader Mao Zedong. The verdict was handed down on August 25 by the Sanhe City People's Court in Hebei Province, according to the New York Times. This three-year sentence is in line with a 2021 amendment by the People's Republic of China (PRC) leader Xi Jinping, which prohibits any perceived slander of China's revered heroes and martyrs.
Prosecutors cited sculptures created between 2005 and 2009, including one where Mao appears repentant or aiming a weapon at Jesus, and another featuring a larger-than-life bust of Mao with exaggerated facial features. Gao Zhen works alongside his brother Gao Qiang, known collectively as the "Gao Brothers," who are renowned for their satirical and critical sculptures of Mao.
The duo's Miss Mao series, produced between 2006 and 2009, is a notable example of their work. The artist was apprehended during a family visit to Hubei province in August 2024, sparking a lengthy legal battle that other Chinese artists, such as Ai Weiwei and Guo Gai, have also encountered in recent times. Despite international protests and petitions from Zhen's supporters, Chinese authorities have not only dismissed such opposition but have also continued to impede his wife and son from leaving the country.
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