Cartoonist and political satirist Bai Budan paints a figure as he works on a sketch in his studio in a traditional hutong alley in central Beijing
Bai Budan took a morning stroll on Tiananmen Square to find inspiration for a new series of satirical cartoons, an art form only barely alive in China.
He wondered about the sheer number of surveillance cameras installed on the square, opposite the iconic entrance to the Forbidden City with a huge portrait of Mao Zedong.
“These cameras are for whose safety? Are they for the safety of the ordinary people?” he asked.
He remembered the popular children’s song “I love Beijing Tiananmen” that he sang when he was young. He sketched the Mao portrait and made a note about updating the lyrics.
Back in his studio, he quickly drew two pink cupids pointing to three security cameras, with the Forbidden City as a background. The caption read: “I love the security cameras of Beijing Tiananmen.”
When he feels the work is finished, where will he show it? Who in China will see it? Those questions are fraught with risks.
Cartoons used as political satire have been rare in China since the 1949 Communist Revolution, though some began gaining notice about three years ago. In particular, single-panel cartoons from an artist known as Rebel Pepper were widely circulated on social media.
In December 2013, President Xi Jinping made headlines for stopping to have a simple lunch of steamed buns in a small Beijing restaurant, in an event staged to portray China’s most powerful man as one of the people. Rebel Pepper’s rendition showed Xi as a steamed bun surrounded by other breakfast foods kowtowing to him as though he were an old-time emperor.
Authorities abruptly closed social media accounts belonging to Rebel Pepper, whose real name is Wang Liming, and searched his house last year. He later went into self-exile in Japan. The crackdown was part of broader moves by the Chinese leadership to curb online discourse of intellectuals.
Bai avoids targeting leaders and instead takes aim at society in general, often using cute and irreverent cupid characters to make his point. Even so, his Facebook-style microblog account was terminated last year after he posted a cartoon of Tiananmen Square immersed in red ink.
“I have not exhibited many of my paintings publicly. My Weibo account was closed down last year. But I try not to think too much about the possible risks. I try to think about positive things, or try to be optimistic,” Bai said.
“A normal society would have these types of artists,” Chinese art critic Li Xianting said in an interview. “If no one raises their voice, then of course that is not a normal society.” Helene Franchineau and Isolda Morillo, Beijing, AP
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