A highly anticipated art show in Hong Kong by a Chinese political cartoonist was cancelled on Friday due to safety concerns with organisers citing “threats made by Chinese authorities relating to the artist”.
Badiucao, who was born in Shanghai but is based in Australia and whose real name and identity are not known, has carved a reputation for his images satirising political suppression by Chinese authorities. His first solo international exhibition was due to open in Hong Kong on Saturday and was billed as a “black comedy for Hong Kong, China and the world”, taking in themes of authority and freedom of speech. “We are sorry to announce that the exhibition ‘Gongle’ by Chinese artist Badiucao has been cancelled out of safety concerns,” said the statement on the website Hong Kong Free Press.
