Artists on the Map

  My first guest of 2025 is Liu Shuang, a painter from Shanghai who focuses on contemporary international portraiture and the intrinsic connection between urban life and humanity. I encountered Liu Shuang’s artworks long before meeting him in person. In fact, I wrote about his artistic practice before ever seeing one of his paintings in real life. Reflecting on portraiture today and understanding the motivations behind a contemporary artist’s choice to engage with this timeless medium was both intriguing and thought-provoking. Traditional techniques and portrait painting encompass a vast and profound universe. After spending countless hours studying Liu Shuang's impressive portraits, I realized that two powerful reasons underlie his choice of this medium. First, there is the emotional and spiritual resonance a painted portrait can evoke. Unlike photography, painting conveys a deeply personal and meditative experience through brushstrokes, color choices, and composition—connecting t...