Tormented Mao

Mao 1924

Golden Mao

Growing up in a Patriarchal society, this image of Mao represents the quintessential ideal of a "young man" who has been deeply cultivated by the values and traditions of then-China. We have seen this archetype before in Sun Yixian and Chiang Kai-Shek. Here, Mao Zedong is depicted as young revolutionary, a scholar, and a soldier -- all images that can be found in Chinese history books, magazines and newspapers.

Tienemen Square Mao

At the time,1989, I was glued to the TV in my Los Angeles studio watching the burning news of Chinese students who were protesting at Tieneman Square demanding "Freedom and Democracy”. The whole world was seeing the event through the viewpoint of the western media. Meanwhile, the majority of the Chinese people had no idea what was going on in their own land.

An inspiration for me in creating this painting is that Mao was the liberator of old society, and after the revolution the ruling class was challenged by a desire for more liberty. Sometimes History itself is an irony!

Visionary Mao

This image is based on a photograph of Mao taken during the time when he faced the predicament of his own Communist's party struggle between extreme right and left. His leadership was challenged by both sides.

Here I endeavored to enter and imagine Mao's inner struggle between resignation and determination.