Andy Warhol Mao: Available at Andipa Editions

Along with other communist leaders such as Joseph Stalin and Vladamir Lenin, Mao Zedong or Mao Tse-tung is considered one of the most important communist figures of the cold war. Mao Zedong served as the leader of the communist forces in China and he was responsible for leading one of the longest revolutions in history that began in 1927. He ruled China’s communist government from the time it was established in 1949.

Since Mao was a public figure whose face and appearance were acknowledged and respected by the public as a protagonist of public interest and because his cold war movement had also become an issue of public interest, Mao easily became a subject matter of Andy’s work.

Warhol's Mao portraits can be seen as a commentary on the cult of personality surrounding political leaders, as well as a reflection of the global political climate of the time. Mao Zedong was a prominent and controversial figure in the 20th century, and Warhol's decision to depict him may have been a way of engaging with and critiquing political power and propaganda.

Warhol was interested in iconic figures and symbols, and he often used famous faces and images in his art. Mao's image was one of the most recognisable in the world at the time, making it a suitable subject for Warhol's exploration of celebrity and fame.

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