Badiucao
cour-age noun
-mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.
-the ability to do something that frightens one. strength in the face of pain or grief.
My first experience seeing anything about this man was on an episode of 60 Minutes. Before I heard him speak and listened to what he had to say, I was moved by his art work. Like many artists who enter the realm of political statements there is a touch of dark humor and irony in his work. The pieces contain sobering messages of the atrocities that continually occur within China's borders. Two things really stood out to me as I watched. One was the really creative way he poked at the regime in China and the other was the determination he had to use all of his tools to fight the oppression in his native land.
Badiucao is a mandarin term for "mouthpiece". His art includes political cartoons, installations, street acts and performances. These are the vehicles he uses to shed light on the human rights abuses and suppression of free speech in China.
China thwarts all attempts of her people to share information and speak freely within its borders. On June4, 1989 the Tiananmen protests began (for more info on the protests read Tank Man). Badiucao first learned of these riots in 2007from a bootleg online film while studying law. The censorship was his motivation to leave China and start drawing. He now resides in Australia.
When asked to describe the purpose of his art he states:
"I sometimes just imagine I'm this kid who's holding this big rock and just throw the rock into the lake so that we see all the splash, we see the change. China does not tolerate ripples. Inside China, there are strict laws forbidding, mocking and questioning leaders of the communist party, known as CCP. Even outside China, dissent does not go over well."
Google his name and view his work. I hope you like it and support the people of China. Not the rich people in power but the "common" people who have no voice or say in even their own lives. And on the horizon, the people of Hong Kong will be forced to walk a similar path unless China is stopped. Like Putin, today, where will this all end? How will you step up and be recognized? Even a simple letter or email to your Congressman or Senator is something. Please, stand up and be heard.
