# Liu Bolin artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/liu-bolin/
Profile generated: 2026-05-29T23:02:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: Chinese
- Movements: Contemporary art, Performance art, Conceptual photography
- Common media: photography, body painting, video art, performance art

## About Liu Bolin

Liu Bolin (born 1973, China) is a Chinese contemporary artist internationally recognized for his photographic self-portraits in which he is painted to blend seamlessly into his surroundings, earning him the nickname "the invisible man." He studied at the Shandong College of Arts (BFA, 1995) and the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing (MFA, 2001), and has been active in Beijing since the early 2000s. Liu's most widely known body of work, the "Hiding in the City" series, began in 2005 as a performance-art response to the demolition of a Beijing artists' village ahead of the 2008 Olympics. The series has since expanded to locations worldwide, blending performance, body painting, and photography into a sustained exploration of visibility, displacement, and the relationship between individuals and their environments. His work has been exhibited in museums and galleries across Europe, Asia, and North America.

## Common works and media

The most frequently encountered works at auction are limited-edition chromogenic or pigment photographic prints from the "Hiding in the City" series, typically depicting the artist camouflaged against urban walls, storefronts, monuments, and landscapes. Other works include video art, sculpture, and mixed-media installations. Prints are commonly issued in numbered editions of varying sizes, with large-format examples appearing most often in the secondary market.

## Market and appraisal context

Liu Bolin's works appear regularly at international contemporary art and photography auctions. The most sought-after pieces are photographic prints from the "Hiding in the City" series, particularly early Beijing-era images and works featuring iconic urban backdrops. Valuation depends on the specific series, edition size and number, print dimensions, provenance, and exhibition history. Collectors should note that Liu's practice encompasses performance, video, and body painting in addition to photography, and works in these other media surface less frequently at auction. Confirming edition details and authenticity through the artist's studio or gallery documentation is recommended.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine structured artist-identity research from museum, library-authority, and encyclopedic sources with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Liu Bolin, identity data is supported by the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, RKD, and Wikidata.

## Sources

- RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/434726
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liu_Bolin
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q710377
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500695796
- VIAF (OCLC): https://viaf.org/viaf/223473799/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2012007678