Ta Men+

Tamen, which translates to “they” in English, is a collective comprising artists Lai Shengyu (born 1978) and Yang Xiogang (born 1979). In their digital photographs and paintings, Tamen juxtaposes elements of traditional Chinese life—for example, a bride by a river—with symbols of the country’s recent meteoric industrialization and economic growth, like luxury sports cars. The artists, who co-create every piece, cite René Magritte and Edward Hopper as influences, explaining, “Our pictures hold up a mirror to contemporary China. This mirror should not just show the outer layer of reality. We are much more concerned with the psychological effects of China’s rapid modernization.”