Art Under China's Red Line: Satire by Zunzi is a pop-up exhibit highlighting the artwork of censored Hong Kong cartoonist Wong Kei-kwan, better known by his penname, Zunzi.
This two-day exhibition event will take place at the Uptown Branch (November 11-13) and Chinatown Branch (November 19-20). The Uptown exhibit will also feature a Sunday reception on November 12. Each weekend installation will be staffed by volunteers from the Chicago Hong Konger Community Center, where visitors can ask questions about the history of Zunzi’s work and look at original copies of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper.
Zunzi’s lighthearted satirical works, published daily in major Hong Kong newspapers, chronicled the social and political lives of a city as a British crown colony and later under Chinese rule, as Hong Kong increasingly faced political and cultural encroachments from China. Following substantial government pressure, the last remaining Hong Kong newspaper to carry Zunzi’s works stopped printing them in May 2023.
Across the world and throughout the United States, censorship threatens our collective freedom to read, learn and think critically. Just this year, Governor J. B. Pritzker signed a bill making Illinois the first US state to prohibit banning books. Chicago Public Library is committed to rejecting censorship and the political repression of free speech in all forms. We are excited to platform Zunzi’s story and work as part of our ongoing celebration of the freedom to read.
Art Under China's Red Line: Satire by Zunzi Exhibit Dates
Uptown Branch
Installation November 11-13, with a reception from 2 - 4 p.m. on November 12.
Chinatown Branch
Installation November 19-20.
