Chinese Artist Gao Zhen Sentenced to Three Years for Satirical Mao Sculptures

Chinese artist Gao Zhen has been sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison for “slandering China’s heroes and martyrs,” according to human rights organizations. The 70-year-old is known for satirical sculptures of former leader Mao Zedong.

A court in Hebei province ruled on Tuesday that Gao’s work “infringes upon the hero’s reputation and harms the public interest.”

Among his most recognized works, created alongside his brother Gao Qiang, is The Execution of Christ, which depicts a firing squad of Mao-like figures aiming at Jesus Christ.

Gao has been detained for the past two years. The United Nations and numerous rights groups have demanded his release. Amnesty International denounced the sentencing as an “assault” on artistic freedom.

Although Gao relocated to the United States in 2022, he was arrested in August 2024 while visiting his studio on the outskirts of Beijing.

Authorities confiscated his artworks and imposed an exit ban on his wife and seven-year-old son, preventing them from leaving China.

Observers argue the case illustrates the Chinese Communist Party’s expanding reach, including the transnational and retroactive policing of its citizens.

He was charged under a 2018 law that criminalizes the defamation of historical figures associated with the Communist Party.

The sculptures cited in the case, including The Execution of Christ, were originally exhibited in 2009.

The other works are Mao’s Guilt, a life-sized figure of the leader kneeling in contrition, and Miss Mao, which portrays him with exaggerated breasts and a long, Pinocchio-like nose.

Gao’s trial was held behind closed doors over a single day earlier this year and received scant coverage in Chinese state media.

Amnesty International reported on Tuesday that Gao intends to appeal the conviction.

If the verdict stands, Gao is expected to complete his sentence in August 2027, with credit for time served since his 2024 detention.

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