Chinese artist on trial for Mao sculpturesReuters, BEIJINGChinese dissident artist Gao Zhen (高兟), famous for making provocative satirical sculptures of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong (毛澤東), was tried on Monday over accusations of “defaming national heroes and martyrs,” his wife and a rights group said. A People’s Liberation Army honor guard stands under an umbrella during heavy snowfall with the Tiananmen Gate featuring a portrait of late Chinese leader Mao Zedong in the background, ahead of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Beijing on March 4. “Gao Zhen is an artist. EU diplomats tried to attend the trial, but were blocked from entering, its China mission said in a social media post. Their most famous works include Miss Mao, featuring Mao with unsettling features such as Pinocchio noses and breasts, and Mao’s Guilt, a bronze statue of the leader kneeling remorsefully.

Source: Taipei Times April 01, 2026 03:46 UTC