In 2021, Shi Haitao’s large-scale solo exhibition Backlight was held at Shanghai Powerlong Museum of Art, presenting a systematic overview of his creative achievements over the past decade. Featuring more than 50 oil paintings, video works and installations, the exhibition was structured around two core sections—Theatrical Pervasion and Slice Layering. It deconstructs reality through theatrical aesthetics to explore the profound propositions of the individual and the collective, life and power, and is hailed as “a unique sample of addressing the relationship between self and the world in the image age”.

Rooted in his profound theatrical background, Shi Haitao imbues contemporary real-life scenes such as military confrontations, cultural conflicts and theatre performances with the essence of Theatrical Pervasion, blurring the boundary between reality and drama and turning viewers from “onlookers” into “participants” in the scenes of the times, thus arousing in-depth reflection on reality. For Slice Layering, he takes medical sections and geographical contour lines as creative inspiration to dissect and reconstruct images of historical celebrities and classic figures in art history. Integrating flat painting and calligraphic brushwork, he veils familiar figures in a hazy “mist”, transforming them into a spectacular expression of the symbols of the times. Wang Min’an commented that Shi’s works embody three dramatic traits: infusing life with theatricality, turning the audience into performers, and rendering performers fictional. They break down the boundary between reality and drama, letting the conflicting spirit of drama permeate life itself.

In Backlight, video works depicting the remains of fragile lives stand in stark contrast to the portrait series, metaphorizing the alienation of individuals under the discipline of power and revealing sincere care for all living beings. Shi Haitao elevates his personal social experience into a universal collective human experience, constructing a triple theatre that strikes at the core of “biopolitics” in modern society. His works interpret literary and philosophical classics, respond to the spiritual predicaments of contemporary society, and leave ample room for viewers’ reflection through an open-ended expression. This exhibition is a concentrated presentation of his artistic ideas and creative methods, and more importantly, a profound dialogue where the artist captures truth against the light of the times, prompting viewers to re-examine the relationship between self and the world.