Chinese Artist Gao Zhen Sentenced to Three Years for ‘Slandering’ Mao
Artist Gao Zhen, a 70-year-old U.S. permanent resident, was convicted of defaming Mao Zedong and sentenced to three years in prison; his wife is barred from leaving China and their son cannot return without his parents.
Gao Zhen, a 70-year-old Chinese artist now residing permanently in the United States, was sentenced to three years in prison for “slandering China’s heroes and martyrs,” specifically Mao Zedong. The conviction stems from a police raid on his art studio in Sanhe City, Hebei Province, where officers detained him and seized his family, later restricting his wife’s ability to leave the country and keeping their son from returning home.
The charge relies on a 2018 law that criminalizes defamation of the nation’s celebrated figures, a statute the government has applied retroactively to works created before its passage. Gao’s controversial sculptures depicted Mao with exaggerated features and in scenes suggesting guilt for the famines and turmoil of his rule. The sentencing underscores the Chinese Communist Party’s renewed emphasis on controlling historical narratives and suppressing artistic criticism, a trend amplified under General Secretary Xi Jinping.
Why it matters
The case illustrates China’s tightening control over historical discourse and the heightened risk for artists who challenge official narratives.
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