The He Art Museum (HEM) in Shunde, Guangdong province, is increasingly focusing on socially engaged local narratives as it seeks to deepen its cultural relevance in the rapidly evolving Greater Bay Area. Opened in 2020 by the He family, founders of Midea Group—the world’s largest home appliance manufacturer—the private museum has become a notable destination for art enthusiasts visiting the region.

Designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the museum’s distinctive disc-shaped building initially established its reputation through exhibitions featuring internationally acclaimed artists, such as a 2023 retrospective of Roni Horn. However, under the guidance of director Shao Shu, who has been with the institution since its inception, HEM is now shifting away from its earlier emphasis on global art stars toward programs that amplify local voices and address pressing social issues.

This strategic redirection gained momentum last year with the commissioning of Dongguan-based artist Li Jinghu for a major site-specific installation. His work, *At Least There’s Love*, comprises street lamps arranged in a heart shape and reflects the "quiet desperation" Li observed among factory workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. This piece has become part of the museum’s permanent collection alongside works by international figures such as Kimsooja, Julian Opie, and Antony Gormley.

One of HEM’s recent exhibitions, "Threads of Kinship," highlights the complex experiences of the zishunu, a term describing unmarried women in the Pearl River Delta who left rural homes to work in urban factories. Co-curator Yuan explained that the show examines this group’s navigation through economic and social upheavals, emphasizing that their choices, while often constrained, also embodied a form of female autonomy aligned with contemporary feminist ideals. The exhibition presents a nuanced perspective contrasting with Western feminist narratives, noting that many women’s labor migration was a response to marginalization rather than pure personal agency.

Among the exhibition’s notable works is an installation by Guangzhou artist Chen Jialu, who has researched the migration patterns of zishunu into diaspora communities across Southeast Asia. Her piece, *Gupoyu*, is a suspended textile embedding oral histories onto a dissolvable fabric, symbolizing both the fragility and endurance of these women’s stories. The installation’s title plays on the Cantonese term for elderly unmarried women and a toxic medicinal plant, underscoring the complexities of identity and cultural memory.

Originally developed for a Paris show in 2025 with 11 artists, "Threads of Kinship" has expanded to feature 44 artists, including modern masters Zhang Daqian and Lin Fengmian from HEM’s collection. While some works have been adjusted due to local censorship, curators maintain that the exhibition’s critical engagement with social themes remains intact.

The show also includes Pan Yuliang’s 1944 oil painting *Lilies in a Blue Vase*, acquired by He Jianfeng in 2021 for 5.75 million yuan. The piece reflects Pan’s rise from restrictive social circumstances to international artistic acclaim, mirroring the broader themes of women’s evolving roles explored in the exhibition.

As the museum aligns its programming with the Pearl River Delta’s specific historical and social contexts, it demonstrates a deliberate move to highlight narratives beyond traditional cultural hubs. This pivot signals HEM’s intention to assert itself as a significant cultural institution addressing local realities amid the region’s dynamic art landscape.