Defector
artist Sun Mu saw an exhibition of his work at a public gallery in Beijing
suddenly cancelled on Sunday. The exhibition was
due to run through the 26th of next month.
Chinese
guards obstructed the museum entrance, while signs related to the event were
all removed. A number of officials believed to be from North Korea’s embassy in
the city stood witness to the scene, leading to suspicion that pressure from
the North Korean side may have caused the Chinese security forces to shut the
event down.
Sun
Mu formerly served as a propaganda artist in North Korea prior to leaving the
country in 1998 and eventually settling in South Korea in 2002. He is widely
regarded as the finest artist in the 26,000-strong defector community.
To protect
family members still in the North, the artist refrains from revealing his face,
leading to his acquiring the title, “Faceless Defector Artist.”
Daily
NK spoke with Sun Mu on July 28th to ask about what happened in Beijing the
previous day. However, he did not comment at length, simply acknowledging,
“The Chinese public security forces interrupted the exhibition,”
before adding, “I just want a break.”
