{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-article-js","path":"/artist-gao-zhen-sentenced-to-three-years-in-prison-for-works-critical-of-mao-zedong/","result":{"data":{"wordpressPost":{"id":126802,"slug":"artist-gao-zhen-sentenced-to-three-years-in-prison-for-works-critical-of-mao-zedong","title":"Artist Gao Zhen sentenced to three years in prison for works critical of Mao Zedong","excerpt":"The three-year sentence, the maximum he could have faced, means he will be detained for one more year","content":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01-1230x1632.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-126831\" srcset=\"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01-1230x1632.jpg 1230w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01-600x796.jpg 600w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01-300x398.jpg 300w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01-768x1019.jpg 768w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01-1158x1536.jpg 1158w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01.jpg 1262w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1230px) 100vw, 1230px\" /><figcaption>Photo: Kimberli Mäkäräinen / <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Wikimedia</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a></figcaption></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Gao Zhen has been sentenced to three years in prison for his works critical of Mao Zedong. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The New York-based artist was found guilty of slandering one of the country’s heroes by the Sanhe City People’s Court in Hebei Province, China.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gao was detained and charged under the Heroes and Martyrs Protection Law in <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https://artreview.com/artist-gao-zhen-detained-in-beijing-for-works-critical-of-mao-zedong/\" target=\"_blank\">2024</a> while visiting family in China. The three-year sentence, the maximum he could have faced, means he will be detained for one more year after time served. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2018 Heroes and Martys Protection Law prohibits any slander or insult of historical figures who have been designated national heroes. According to Gao Zhen’s wife, Zhao Yaliang, via <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/world/asia/china-artist-gao-zhen-jailed-mao-sculpture.html\" target=\"_blank\">The New York Times</a></em>, this case cited three sculptures of Mao Zedong that the artist and his brother created over 15 years ago as evidence. The sculptures depict Mao kneeling, Mao with breasts and a Pinocchio nose, and a group of Maos aiming guns at Jesus. </p>\n","path":"/artist-gao-zhen-sentenced-to-three-years-in-prison-for-works-critical-of-mao-zedong/","format":"standard","date":"27 August 2026","rawDate":"2026-08-27T12:11:15.000Z","branch":{"name":"artreview.com"},"author":{"name":"ArtReview","path":"/author/artreview/"},"category":{"name":"News","path":"/category/news/"},"featured_media":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01.jpg","caption":"","alt_text":"","media_details":{"width":1262,"height":1674,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01-300x398.jpg","width":300,"height":398},"medium":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01-600x796.jpg","width":600,"height":796},"large":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01-1230x1632.jpg","width":1230,"height":1632},"wordpress_1536x1536":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Oslo_Freedom_Forum_2019_Gao_brothers_Gao_Zhen_01-1158x1536.jpg","width":1158,"height":1536},"wordpress_2048x2048":null}}},"acf":{"article_artist":null,"article_video":null,"article_audio":null,"article_collaboration":"","article_custom_html_snippet":"","article_featured_title":"","article_featured_description":"","article_highlight":false,"article_custom_link_url":"","hero_image":null,"seo_title":"News: Artist Gao Zhen sentenced to three years in prison for works critical of Mao Zedong","seo_description":"The New York-based Chinese artist Gao Zhen was found guilty of slandering one of the country's heroes by the Sanhe City People's Court in Hebei Province. He has been sentenced to three years in prison. 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