The Chinese artist Ye Yongqing has been convicted for plagiarizing the works of Belgian painter Christian Silvain.
A Chinese appeals court upheld the initial ruling, ordering Ye to pay €650,000 in damages and issue an apology in China’s largest newspaper within ten days. Failure to do so could result in imprisonment.
Christian Silvain (74) expressed relief at the news, describing it as "the end of a long battle." For years, he watched as Ye gained fame and fortune using copied versions of his work. The issue surfaced in 2019, when the striking similarities between their artworks were exposed. After a five-year legal battle, the judgment is now final.
Once a celebrated artist and art school professor, Ye Yongqing’s reputation has been shattered. His last exhibition was in 2018, before the plagiarism accusations led to protests from students and condemnation from art critics. He lost his university position, and several museums removed his works.
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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