Tang Shuo Casts Himself as Members of His Small Chinese Village in a New Series of Paintings

three men in long sleeve shirts and rolled up pants stand outside with bare feet while it rains

“A Family” (2024), oil on linen, 190 x 180 centimeters. All images courtesy of Beers London, shared with permission

In The Narrators, artist Tang Shuo inserts himself into the stories of his native Boulder Hill by painting himself as the protagonist. He envisions life as a sweaty worker hunched over a field of weeds or a child angling to capture a butterfly. Like previous bodies of work, the pensive series takes the divide between memory and fact as a starting point and how that tension arises within his small village on the edge of Guilin, China.

Working in deep, shadowy palettes with a signature flatness, Shuo creates an ensemble of characters in his likeness. All wear the same rolled pants and long-sleeved shirts and have dark hair that pools at the shoulders. This resemblance allows viewers to similarly cast themselves in the roles the artist has as an exercise in empathy and connection. “I hope viewers can immerse themselves in the stories of Boulder Hill, experiencing the memories and emotions I have encountered,” he says. “I aim for these artworks to evoke resonance and provoke contemplation on personal memories, hometown history, and human emotions.”

The Narrators runs from June 7 to July 13 at Beers London. Find more from Shuo on Instagram.