Painter gifts evolutionary works to Shanghai exhibition

Xu Xiaoguo lived and worked in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, where he was born and raised, then in Shanghai for eight years, before moving to Beijing in 2008 to continue his passion for painting.

The varying history, social changes and cultural accumulations of northern and southern China over the past two decades inspired the evolution of Xu's approach to art.

He transitioned from a narrative style under the influence of realism to conceptualism, followed by a foray into a more abstract, expressive realm. His ever-changing methods reflect a generation of artists embracing the globalized age.

Xu's ongoing exhibition Las Ruinas Circulares at Long Museum's West Bund venue in Shanghai marks his reunion with the metropolis after being away for some 17 years. The works on display were created during his time in Beijing from 2015 to the present.

The vivid paintings exhibit his thoughts on art, life and society, what has changed over time and what has remained, contrasting with the museum's plain concrete walls.