Flex Mentallo

“To touch someone, an artist must exhibit not just technique, but also the artist’s thinking and struggle in life.”

But in the contemporary art world, an artist that draws international fame, often faces the danger of being pigeon-holed into repeating the same act.

The background mural was designed by Alex Haldi.

This mural, which conceals both Liu Bolin and Bon Jovi, became the album cover for Bon Jovi's What About Now.

In September 2016, Liu's studio released "The Future" - a photograph of the artist painted into a vibrant backdrop of flags from all 193 United Nations member states. Spread among these are square blocks of 17 UN Global Goals -- including "no poverty" and "climate action."

In 2015 Liu hacked into 8 countries web sites and digitally inserted himself into the online photographs.

"I always use my works to question and rethink the inequality and imbalance caused by the process of human development"

In a recent work titled "Dongji (Winter Solstice)", Bolin took a political stance on the environment, commenting on the air pollution crisis happening in China.

An invisible sense of helplessness in society - all of which are constantly transforming through time and space.

People’s decrying of the pollution of food, water, air or even “spirit” in recent decades.

The drastic yet subtle change in human nature.

In terms of subjects, “Hiding in the City” covers sudden changes in our material environment.

The artist’s Chinese army training uniform and disappearance into the background are deliberate and metaphoric gestures of protest against this loss.

Sometimes even allowing the self to disintegrate.

His work illustrates that amid the accelerating progress of society, our living environment has significantly improved, while humans are becoming increasing lost about the meaning and value of self.

Liu Bolin’s “Hiding in the City” series stems from his questioning of, and reflection on, the development of manmade civilization and its social problems.

"From 1998 to 2000, over 21 million workers in China were laid off, including the six people in this photograph from the 706 factory. The slogan above their heads reads 'The Communist Party of China is the core driving force behind the leadership of our cause,' and it had motivated them to work with great passion while employed in the factory. China's recent economization marginalized these people; they are slowly eliminated, replaced, or laid off. This left the ageing former workers living hand-to-mouth and facing the cancellation of their medical benefits."

Bolin employs his distinctive artistic process to reflect and express commentary about contemporary China, about art itself, and ultimately about the universality of the human condition.

And a way of hiding from the authorities.

He sees his work as a type of political protest.

And desire as when he embeds himself in an array of sunflowers.

He is an artist of memory as in his simple and moving 9/11 pieces.

Bolin is both artist and acidic social critic.

'There have been many instances when I look at the final product of my work, and I cannot find myself immediately. It is a very strange feeling.'

Bolin works with a team of assistants who spend roughly five hours camouflaging him once they have selected the background.