Shanghai Artist Dai Jianyong Arrested for Social Media Photomontages Mocking Xi Jinping

Shanghai-based artist Dai Jianyong was arrested by Chinese authorities for creating and sharing humorous photomontages of President Xi Jinping on social media, according to a report by the Independent. The images, which Dai titled 'Chrysanthemum Face,' depicted Xi with an exaggerated moustache and contorted facial expressions. The term 'chrysanthemum' carries a slang meaning for 'anus' in Chinese. Dai now faces a potential prison sentence of up to five years. This legal action aligns with President Xi's October speech outlining his vision for art in China, where he stated that artistic expression should 'embody socialist core values in a lively and vivid way' and serve to 'rally Chinese strength.' The arrest exemplifies the government's strict approach to what it considers dissident art that contradicts these prescribed values.