Artist behind critical Mao sculptures jailed in China for three years
25.08.2026,
A court in China has reportedly sentenced the Chinese artist Gao Zhen, who is known for his provocative sculptures of the revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, to three years in prison.
The New York Times reported the sentence on Tuesday, citing Gao's wife. The Chinese Human Rights Network also said a court in the northern city of Sanhe had found the 70-year-old guilty of slandering the honour of heroes and martyrs.
Gao Zhen and his younger brother Gao Qiang, better known as the Gao brothers, became famous in the 2000s for addressing sensitive topics in China - such as the Cultural Revolution or the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing - through their art.
One of their best-known works is the bronze statue "Mao's Guilt," which depicts the leader, who died in 1976, kneeling in remorse.
The 2009 work was one of three pieces of evidence presented in the case, according to Gao's wife, the New York Times reported. Another sculpture cited in the trial depicts Mao with a Pinocchio nose and breasts.
Two years ago, it emerged that Gao, who lived in New York, had been arrested while visiting family in Beijing. His wife and son, who is a US citizen, have been unable to leave the country since then.
In March, he was tried behind closed doors. Having already served two years in pre-trial detention, Gao would, in theory, be released next year.
Sarah Brooks of the human rights organization Amnesty International said the case showed how broadly worded and politically motivated laws were being used to silence artists, activists and others who dared to express views differing from those of the Chinese government.
She also pointed to the retroactive application of the provision, which only came into force in 2018 - many years after the Mao sculptures were created.
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