Political Pop

A term coined by art critic Li Xianting in 1992 to describe art created by a group of 1990s Chinese artists, whose works, executed in the style of 1960s American Pop, juxtaposed Cultural Revolution propaganda imagery, such as a portrait of Mao Zedong, with symbols of globalization like Gucci or Coca-Cola logos. In their work Political Pop artists—including most notably Wang Guangyi, Yu Youhan, and Li Shan—expressed ironic, wry—and at times humorous—criticism of Chinese society’s growing fascination with wealth and luxury following the austerity of the recent past.