李山 (中国，1942年生)

Considered to be one of the most important Chinese contemporary artists to emerge in 1990s, Li Shan championed the aesthetic idiom of Political Pop. Throughout the many stylistic changes in his career, Rouge Series is considered to be the most iconic. Rouge Series: Mao in Turquoise Background appropriates the ubiquitous imagery of Mao Zedong with a distinctive taste of irony, bringing into play the taboo of sexuality in relation to politics. Li demonstrates an evocative clash between consumerism and Communism by presenting the leader’s instantly recognizable portrait with flamboyant coloring and a bright backdrop, thus blurring lines between power and sexuality.