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Chinese Artist Detained for Allegedly Insulting Mao Zedong Sculptures
Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen has been detained by authorities in Hebei province on charges of “insulting revolutionary heroes and martyrs,” according to his brother and artistic partner, Gao Qiang. The Gao Brothers are renowned for their provocative sculptures that critique the founder of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong, and his regime.
Gao Zhen, who had been living in the United States for the past two years, returned to China to visit family when he was taken into custody on August 26. His brother reported that around 30 police officers raided their art studio in Sanhe City. The Chinese authorities have not yet responded to the accusations made by Gao Qiang.
This detention comes under a 2021 law in China, which criminalizes the spoofing or insulting of revolutionary heroes and martyrs. The law, part of President Xi Jinping’s campaign to protect the legacy of the Communist Party, carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison.