Art Mao: The Big Little Red Book of Maoist Art Since 1949

Publisher: CN Time Books Inc.

The image of Chairman Mao (Mao Zedong) is arguably one of the most reproduced in modern history. Long since liberated from its original propagandist purpose, it has become a prism through which artists, from Andy Warhol to Ai Wei Wei, have commented on the evolution of Chinese culture since the great revolution. In Art Mao, Pia Copper has curated a remarkable archive of these images from 97 artists, placing them in their political, social, artistic and cultural context. Art Mao is not just a collection of Mao images, it is a fun and thought-provoking guide to an iconic figure and his complex relationship with the Chinese people and the world.

Pia Copper an independent art consultant and curator of Chinese art. She writes widely, and organizes exhibitions around the world. She studied Taoism at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris.

Francesca Dal Lago, whose celebrated essay introduces Art Mao, is a scholar specialising in modern and contemporary Chinese art. She holds a PhD on the history of Chinese art from the Institute of Fine Arts and New York University, and lives between Italy and Paris.