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TANG
BETWEEN TRADITION & DREAM
A visual artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Shun Tang weaves photography, painting, and printmaking into poetic narratives that explore cultural identity and the timeless beauty of Eastern traditions in a contemporary world.
INTERVIEW BY BOLD & BEYOND MAGAZINE
SHUN
Photography has taught me that images can communicate beyond language. People from different cultural backgrounds may interpret my work differently, yet they often share similar emotional responses. This has strengthened my belief that art can become a bridge between cultures. It has also influenced the way I approach painting and printmaking, where visual storytelling remains at the heart of my creative process.
WHAT IS THE MOST UNEXPECTED THING PHOTOGRAPHY HAS TAUGHT YOU?
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I hope they see an artist who has remained committed to a clear creative vision. Whether through photography, painting, or printmaking, I want my work to continue exploring the relationships between culture, identity, and the human experience rather than following temporary trends. More importantly, I hope the work continues to resonate with people across different generations and cultural backgrounds.
IF SOMEONE'S LOOKING AT YOUR PORTFOLIO 10 YEARS FROM NOW, WHAT DO YOU HOPE THEY SEE?
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WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR—AS A PHOTOGRAPHER AND AS A CREATIVE?
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WHAT'S SOMETHING ABOUT YOU PEOPLE DON'T USUALLY SEE IN YOUR WORK—BUT SHOULD?
I hope people remember me not simply for individual photographs, but as an artist who reinterprets Eastern culture and cultural identity through symbolic visual language. Rather than presenting tradition as something fixed in the past, I want to explore how it continues to evolve and remain relevant today. My goal is to create work that invites reflection while revealing the beauty and depth of cultural heritage through a contemporary perspective.
​Many people know me through my photography, but I am equally dedicated to painting and printmaking. To me, these are not separate disciplines but different visual languages for expressing the same artistic ideas. Photography shapes the way I construct narratives in my paintings, while the symbolic thinking developed through painting continually finds its way back into my photographic work. Together, these mediums allow me to explore the same questions from different perspectives.
WALK US THROUGH YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS—FROM CONCEPT TO FINAL EDIT.
Q:
Every project begins with research rather than with the camera. I spend time reading history, mythology, literature, and traditional culture until I discover an idea that truly resonates with me. From there, I carefully develop the styling, location, lighting, composition, and every visual element to support the concept. During post-production, my goal is never to create dramatic effects, but to strengthen the atmosphere and communicate the original idea as clearly as possible. I believe every element in an image should serve its central concept.
BOLD & BEYOND
THE INTERVIEW
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PLEASE START WITH A QUICK INTRO-YOUR NAME, WHERE YOU'RE BASED AND WHAT TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPHY YOU DO.
My name is Shun Tang (Thomas), and I am a visual artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. My practice spans photography, painting, and printmaking. Before focusing on my personal artistic practice, I worked in commercial photography for many years, making photography the first medium through which I explored visual expression. My photographic work centers on cultural identity and the aesthetic and spiritual qualities of traditional Eastern culture. Through my images, I hope to reinterpret these traditions within a contemporary context and create a dialogue between the past and the present.
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WHAT'S YOUR SIGNATURE AS A PHOTOGRAPHER?
Asian women often appear as the central figures in my photographs, but they are more than simply portrait subjects—they become carriers of cultural memory and identity. I enjoy incorporating traditional Chinese clothing, architecture, natural landscapes, and symbolic elements to create images that exist somewhere between reality and dreams. While visual beauty is important to me, I hope viewers also discover the cultural narratives and symbolism woven into each photograph.
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WHAT DO PEOPLE FEEL THEY SEE YOUR WORK?—AND WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO FEEL?
Asian women often appear as the central figures in my photographs, but they are more than simply portrait subjects—they become carriers of cultural memory and identity. I enjoy incorporating traditional Chinese clothing, architecture, natural landscapes, and symbolic elements to create images that exist somewhere between reality and dreams. While visual beauty is important to me, I hope viewers also discover the cultural narratives and symbolism woven into each photograph.
"I want my work to continue exploring the relationships between
culture, identity, and the human experience."
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