Chinese artist Gao Zhen sentenced to three years in prison over Mao-related works

Chinese artist Gao Zhen has been sentenced to three years in prison in China after being found guilty of slandering the country's "heroes and martyrs". The verdict was delivered by a court in Sanhe city in Hebei province, according to people familiar with the case and rights groups monitoring it. Gao, who is known for provocative sculptures involving former leader Mao Zedong, had already spent two years in detention before sentencing.

Sponsored

The case centres on artworks created more than a decade before the law used against him came into force. China's law on defamation of heroes and martyrs took effect in March 2018, and has previously been used in cases involving challenges to official historical narratives. Gao was detained on 26 August 2024 after returning to China with his wife and son, and police later raided his studio near Beijing.

His wife said only two relatives were allowed into the court for the verdict, while she waited outside with their son and friends. Gao is 70 and holds Chinese citizenship as well as US permanent residency. His family has said he suffered health problems in detention, including fainting, back pain, knee pain and respiratory problems.

His wife also said he had experienced heatstroke during the summer and described the past two years as a painful ordeal for the family. Rights monitors said his studio and property were sealed after the case began. The sentencing has drawn international condemnation because the works at the centre of the case were produced long before the law was introduced.

Sponsored

That timing has made the case a focus for concerns about retroactive use of legal provisions in politically sensitive prosecutions. It also highlights the continuing sensitivity in China around public discussion of Mao Zedong and the official status of those described as heroes and martyrs. Gao's work has long been known for its critical treatment of political symbolism.

One of his best-known pieces depicts Mao kneeling, while another shows seven Mao statues forming a firing squad aimed at Jesus. Those works have been cited by supporters as artistic expression, but authorities treated them as an offence against state-sanctioned historical memory. What remains unclear is whether Gao's family or supporters will pursue further legal steps, and whether any appeal process will be available or successful.

It is also not known when he may begin serving the prison term in full, given the time already spent in detention. The case is likely to remain under scrutiny because it combines questions of artistic freedom, historical interpretation and the reach of China's law on heroes and martyrs.

#GaoZhen #China #heroesandmartyrs #MaoZedong #Sanhecourt

Sponsored