Shuo Hao’s Mythic Hybrids: Between Monster, Memory, and Humanity

Amid the hum of Art Basel Paris week, Shuo Hao’s work stood out for its quiet intensity within “HUMAN FIRST,” the latest exhibition from Whitewall Projects at 37 Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt. Deftly curated by Laurent Moïsi and Michael Klug, the show brought together a myriad of artists examining what it means to feel, to empathize, and to simply be human. Hao’s stunning contributions—a painted screen and the mesmerizing Cerbère—invited viewers into an in-between realm where myth and memory intertwine. Her practice, rooted in transformation and tension, turns hybrid figures into mirrors of our own complexity. In the following conversation, she reflects on the language of thresholds, the symbolism of the underworld, and her ongoing dialogue between beauty and unease.

WHITEWALL: Your works in the Whitewall Projects exhibition—particularly the paravent and the painting Cerbère—seem to merge myth, memory, and materiality. How did you approach these two pieces in dialogue with each other?

SHUO HAO: I’ve always been drawn to hybrid creatures that exist between monster, animal, and human. Cerbère is also a kind of chimera. These beings seem like materials that don’t exist in our world, yet to me, they are more like the latent souls of every individual—multifaceted and full of potential.

“I’ve always been drawn to hybrid creatures that exist between monster, animal, and human,”

Shuo Hao

WW: The paravent recalls both an object of intimacy and a boundary between spaces. What drew you to this format, and what does it allow you to explore that a traditional canvas does not?

SH: I love the format of the screen (paravent) because it has two sides. To me, it resembles the merging of the subconscious and the conscious. It carries a sense of mystery and offers surprises when the viewer shifts perspective. It was actually the first screen I painted three years ago that led to all the works in my solo exhibition this year.

The Visual Language of Shuo Hao Unveiled in Paris 

WW: Cerbère references the mythological guardian of the underworld. What does this figure symbolize for you, and how did you reinterpret it through your own visual language?

SH: Cerbère, the guardian of the underworld, represents for me a creature that exists between two kinds of energy—an animal embodiment of a threshold. The background of the painting is inspired by classical marble interiors. I wanted to express the idea that the “gate to the underworld” exists everywhere; in Eastern philosophy especially, this idea is deeply embedded in interior design.

“I wanted to express the idea that the ‘gate to the underworld’ exists everywhere,”

Shuo Hao

WW: Your work often feels suspended between protection and exposure, beauty and unease. How does this tension manifest in the pieces you chose to present for Whitewall Projects?

SH: For example, one side of the screen depicts a somewhat frenzied chimera—violent and flamboyant—while the other side shows the elements that make up the chimera, quiet and secretive. I think this duality appears throughout my work, because I myself am also a kind of hybrid being.

WW: How did the curatorial theme of the group show resonate with your practice, and what conversations or contrasts with the other artists’ works interested you most?

SH: For me, “Human First” resonates deeply because animals are themselves representations of humanity. Human animality can be expressed through the traits of many animals. Many of the other artists painted human figures, so for me, this created a perfect transformation between human and animal—completing the exhibition in a harmonious way.

“For me, ‘Human First’ resonates deeply because animals are themselves representations of humanity,”

Shuo Hao

“HUMAN FIRST” will be on view from October 20 to November 8, 2025, at 37 Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt, Paris.