@piopionails
PioPio NailsOba-Mao was created in 2008 by Chinese graphic designer Liu Mingjie, who owned a gift shop in Beijing’s Houhai district. The design was screen printed on shirts and hats at his store, and quickly became viral and was copied by many shops in tourist areas in Beijing. The design was often paired with Maoist quotes with bad English translation. It was later banned by the Chinese government, fearing that it might “offend the American president”. The design had different interpretations by Americans throughout the years, but it was mostly seen as funny and clever in China.
On the profile · Nov 5, 2025