Colossal · Creativity & design

Tang Shuo's Fictional Self-Portraits Visualize Ancestral Archive

Artist Tang Shuo's exhibition "Borrowed History" explores heritage and identity through fictional self-portraits inspired by his ancestral village in southern China.

Tang uses photographs of himself to depict figures he imagines his ancestors to have been, such as "The Migrant" and "The Settler," set against landscapes tinged with magical realism.

The paintings, influenced by Gabriel García Márquez, use lush natural imagery to connect different eras and generations, suggesting that the land is a link to his forebears.

Tang views his work as archiving a disappearing world, noting the significant population decline in his childhood village, Dashishan.

He is documenting the village's inhabitants and stories for a future book, which he calls his "own bible."

The exhibition "Borrowed History" is on view at Plato Gallery from October 8 to November 7.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.