Liu Bolin paints himself into walls, shelves and city ruins until he vanishes, turning the 2005 demolition of a Beijing artists’ village into a lasting photographic series.
Liu Bolin at a glance
- Born: January 7, 1973, Shandong Province, China
- Nationality: Chinese
- Lives and works in: Beijing
- Medium: Performance photography, body painting and sculpture
- Known for: Hiding in the City, a series that earned him the nickname “the Invisible Man”
- Education: Shandong College of Arts (1995); Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, MFA (2001)
- Notable project: A 2015 image for the United Nations backed Global Goals campaign
- Official website: liubolinart.com
Liu Bolin was born on January 7, 1973, in Shandong Province, China. He studied at the Shandong College of Arts, graduating in 1995, before continuing his training in Beijing.
At the Central Academy of Fine Arts he trained as a sculptor and earned his master’s degree in 2001. By 2005 he was working in the Suo Jia Cun artists’ village.
His best-known work began in November 2005, when authorities demolished Suo Jia Cun, the Beijing artists’ community where he worked. Liu stood before the ruins of his studio, covered in paint, and had the scene photographed. That image opened Hiding in the City, a silent protest about how little protection Chinese artists had.
The method is slow and physical. A photograph of the chosen backdrop comes first, then assistants paint Liu, clothing and skin together, until his outline matches the scene. He stands motionless, sometimes for hours, while the camera records the result. Look closely and the edges give him away: a seam in a poster, a shoulder a shade too flat. That small tension is the point. The viewer searches, finds him, and starts asking why he is there.
The backdrops soon widened from demolition sites to political slogans, flags, supermarket shelves and landmarks in Italy, New York, Paris and London. Gallery biographies group his themes into politics and censorship, Chinese tradition, consumer society and freedom of the press. He has shown at Klein Sun Gallery in New York, the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow and Boxart in Verona, and has worked with JR and Annie Leibovitz. Sculpture never left his practice, including human figures assembled from motherboards and USB cables.
Disappearing is not the main point of my work. It’s just the method I use to pass on a message.
Liu Bolin, as quoted by Artnet
Did you know? In 2015 the United Nations backed Global Goals campaign commissioned Liu to illustrate its 17 goals, and he hid himself within a composition of 193 national flags.
Liu Bolin: Questions and Answers
Who is Liu Bolin?
Liu Bolin is a Chinese artist, born in 1973 in Shandong Province, known as “the Invisible Man” for photographs in which he is painted to blend into his surroundings. He lives and works in Beijing.
What is Hiding in the City?
Hiding in the City is Liu Bolin’s photographic series in which he is painted to match a chosen backdrop. It began in November 2005, after the Suo Jia Cun artists’ village in Beijing was demolished.
How does Liu Bolin make his photographs?
Liu is painted by hand, with help from assistants, to match a backdrop, and he stands still while the scene is photographed. The camouflage is made with paint, then recorded by the camera.
Where did Liu Bolin study?
Liu Bolin studied at the Shandong College of Arts, graduating in 1995, and earned a master’s degree from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 2001, where he trained in sculpture.
Where has Liu Bolin exhibited?
Liu Bolin has had solo exhibitions at Klein Sun Gallery in New York (2011), the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow (2012), Galerie Paris-Beijing, and Boxart in Verona, Italy (2014).
See more of Liu Bolin’s work on his official website: Liu Bolin Studio
Related Artists
Liu Bolin’s camouflage photography, in which the artist is painted to match his surroundings. Artwork ยฉ Liu Bolin; official site: liubolinart.com.
