Mao (1986) revisits one of Andy Warhol’s most recognizable subjects, transforming the portrait of Mao Zedong through the bold colour contrasts and graphic treatment central to his Pop Art vocabulary.

Against a pale green background, Mao’s monochromatic portrait is punctuated by vivid pink across the clothing, lips and contours of the image. Loose gestural lines overlay the photographic portrait, creating a tension between mechanical reproduction and the appearance of spontaneous drawing.

The image originates from Warhol’s celebrated Mao series, first developed in the early 1970s following President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China. By treating the image of a political leader through the same visual language he applied to celebrities and mass-media imagery, Warhol explored the relationship between fame, power and image reproduction.

This 1986 lithograph was published by the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh in an edition of 2,400. It is plate-signed, numbered in pencil and stamped CMOA on the reverse.