The Invisible Man
“My intention was not to disappear in the environment but instead to let the environment take possession of me” Said Liu Bolin. With his strong photography, Bolin vanishes into the city, creating a powerful statement about our relationship, as humans, to our surroundings.
Courtesy of Liu Bolin
His body acts a blank canvas against different urban backdrops; with the aid of his assistants, Bolin is perfectly painted to blend beautifully into the background, making it difficult to distinguish him from the environment around him. The artist’s vision is as clear and as powerful as he displays it in his work series. Starting in 2005 his art work included series of “Hiding in the City” and “The Invisible Man.”
Courtesy of Liu Bolin
The Invisible Man’s camouflage has attracted the world’s attention to his art. Starting in his hometown, Beijing, China, his later works were carried out through Venice, Paris and New York. At the beginning, Bolin was motivated to create the “Hiding In the City” series in Beijing as a silent protest against the demolition of Suo Jia Cun; the village of artists. As for his later works, Bolin manages to create his art in places that hold significant examples of the affect of economic and urban development on us as humans. His statements are far more than an individual’s expression; they connect to the worldwide society.
Courtesy of Liu Bolin
By:Ala’ Abuhasan
Maiar Mansour is an editor at Arch2O with a unique lens shaped by her background in architecture, visual arts, and human-centered design. A graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Maiar discovered her passion for UI/UX through civil society work, storytelling workshops, and freelance design for arts events. Her editorial approach blends emotional intelligence with a strong visual sensibility, guided by a belief in storytelling and design coherence. With training from ITI and Udacity and hands-on experience as a UI/UX designer, she brings fresh perspectives on how environments shape human behavior, emotion, and interaction in design.