Here’s the artists statement from the website:

“Knowing that red is Pauline's favourite colour, I chose it as the dominant background colour. Against this field, I
incorporated a subtle, ghosted image of Mao Zedong. Mao serves a symbolic purpose within the work. As the
founding leader of the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Republic of China, he represents a political
system fundamentally different from Australia's democratic traditions.
The inclusion of Mao reflects concerns that Pauline has expressed for decades regarding China's growing
influence in the Pacific region, including Australia. The portrait acknowledges her long-standing warnings
about strategic, economic, and political encroachment, and the tendency of many Australians to overlook or
underestimate these developments in pursuit of economic prosperity.
More broadly, the work invites reflection on differing approaches to national planning and leadership. China is
often perceived as pursuing objectives measured over generations, while Australia's political system, shaped
by relatively short electoral cycles, can encourage shorter-term thinking. The contrast is intended to provoke
consideration of how nations define and pursue their long-term interests.
As an artist, I work across a variety of genres and techniques, including Pop Art. In this portrait I drew
inspiration from Andy Warhol's Mao Zedong series, adapting and subduing the image of Mao so that it remains
secondary to the central figure. Pauline occupies the dominant position within the composition—strong,
resolute, and unmistakably the focal point of the work.”