Totem Portrait of Modern People, 2017

Liu Bolin   Famous Artists

Liu Bolin is born in 1973 in China where he lives and works.

Despite his worldwide fame, it is the first time ever in Shanghai one can see the complete line of his work from the beginnings until the present days. Known for his “Invisible Man" photo-performance, Liu Bolin has through the years been working on different subsequent themes. Media as sculpture being one that can't be ignored, for they provide variation in his consistent research. Sculptures, as his photographs, show how the outside can blend with the inside and vice versa.

Liu Bolin's work requires meticulous planning and execution. It all lies in the perfection of the vision, whether it is an illusion or just a mirror surface. Known for his “Invisible Man" photo-performance, Liu Bolin has also through the years been working on different subsequent themes and media, as sculpture for instance. Liu Bolin uses the city around him as a backdrop, painting himself to blend in with a landscape in constant flux. By literally blending into the city, Liu creates a tension that challenges the viewer to question what is above and beneath the surface. For Liu, the most important element of his images is the background.

Each image requires rigorous planning and execution: as both artist and performer, Liu Bolin directs the photographer on how to compose each scene before entering the frame. Once situated, he puts on a monochromatic uniform, which he wears for all of his Invisible Man photographs and, with the help of an assistant and painter, is painted seamlessly into the scene. This process can sometimes take up to 10 hours with Liu having to stand perfectly still. Although the end result of Liu's process is the photograph, the tension between his body and the landscape is an important aspect to the process.