In a stark reminder of the limits on artistic expression in China, 69-year-old sculptor Gao Zhen has been convicted and imprisoned for “defaming heroes and martyrs” of the Communist Party. According to Ta Nea, citing Italy’s Corriere della Sera, the work that cost Gao his freedom is a sculptural composition titled “The Execution of Christ,” which depicts seven executioners bearing the likeness of Mao Zedong aiming rifles at Jesus.
Gao and his brother Gao Qiang created multiple sculptures critical of the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), that era of political persecution and social upheaval. The trial was held behind closed doors, and the prosecution targeted artworks made decades ago — a chilling signal about China’s willingness to reach back in time to punish dissent.