Some even adorn the main avenues, though most are in the alleyways that criss-cross the capital and run through the old housing areas. Not everyone thinks AK47 is China's Andy Warhol. Xie Qianhua disagrees. Artists who are not as bold as AK47 have few legitimate venues to show their work. The authorities routinely close down exhibitions considered too sexually explicit or containing anti-government messages.
Many artists now exhibit in remote warehouses or damp cellars, hoping to avoid official attention.
AK47 blames censorship and the lack of galleries and museums for what he considers a dearth of accomplished artists painting in modern styles. As for his own work, he says he has no fear of officialdom. What I am doing is not a crime. I don't know what law exists in China against outdoor art. Anyway, I am going to keep on painting until the Beijing people accept my images and they become a permanent part of the urban landscape.