Liu Bolin was born in 1973 in Shandong; he currently lives in Beijing. In 1995 Liu Bolin graduated from Shandong Art College and in 2001 he earned a M.F.A. from the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

In Liu Bolin’s recent series, Urban Camouflage, Bolin paints his subjects as a continuation of their surrounding environment so that they blend almost seamlessly into the background, thereby questioning the boundary between subject and environment. Individuality is an important issue in a country still scrambling to rise up from the Cultural Revolution. China is now in a paradox of adopting capitalist values and economic dreams which exist within an anachronistic communist framework. Within this context of a desperate leap towards a “modern” future, Bolin suggests the disintegration of the individual. He has commented, “Indulged in the development he has achieved, man is in fact digging his own grave with his greed. To bury oneself in human society is by no means a simple way out that can permit one to be worldly wise and play safe. The concept of man meets denial. Instead of playing an active role in a dominant position, man, in the form of concept, characterizes his existence with gradual and self-incurred disintegration.”

Born 1973 in Shandong, China. Lives and works in Beijing, China

Education

1995
B.A.  Shandong University of Arts, Jinan, China

2001
M.F.A. Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China

Solo Exhibitions

2012
“Lost in Art,” Eli Klein Fine Art, New York, NY
“The Invisible Man,” Ekaterina Cultural Foundation, Moscow, Russia
"Liu Bolin," The Longyear Museum of Anthropology, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY
"Liu Bolin," California State University Northridge Art Galleries, Northridge, CA

2011
“The Invisible Man,” Lake Vänern Museet, Lidköping, Sweden
“The Invisible Man,” Eli Klein Fine Art, New York, NY
"The Invisible Man," Fotografiska Museet, Stockholm, Sweden
“Liu Bolin,” Galerie Paris-Beijing, Paris, France

2010
“Hiding in Italy,” Forma Centro Internazionale Di Fotografia, Milano, Italy
“Hiding in the City,” Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela
Sunshine International Art Museum, Songzhuang, Beijing, China
“On Fire,” Eli Klein Fine Art, New York, NY

2010
“Hiding in Italy,” Boxart Gallery, Verona, Italy

2008
“Hide and Seek,” Boxart Gallery, Verona, Italy
"Liu Bolin" Bridge Art Center, Beijing, China
“China Report 2007,” Eli Klein Fine Art, New York, NY

2007
"Sculpture," Dashanzi Art Zone, Beijing, China
“Distortion,” Dashanzi Art Zone, Beijing, China

2001
“Liu Bolin’s Sculpture,” Passage Gallery, Beijing, China

1998
“Liu Bolin’s Works,” Ming Ren Gallery, Jinan, China
“Haiyang Works Exhibition,” Yantai, China

Selected Group Exhibitions

2012
“D.E.F.E.N.C.E. – A Consideration of Various Strategies in Biology, Politics, Economy, Technology, Military, Psychology, Society, and Culture,” VögeleKulturZentrum, Pfäffikon, Switzerland
“Performing for the Camera,” Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, AZ

2011
“Exhibition of the Neuflize Collection MAC de Marseille,” Musée d’Art Contemporain de Marseille, Marseille, France
“Réinvestir la Planète,” Villa de Levallois, Levallois, France
“Urban Play,” Landgent Center, Beijing, China
“Scenes from Within: Contemporary Art from China," Blackbridge Hall Gallery, Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA
Fotográfica Biennale, Museo de Fotografía, Bogotá, Columbia
“Black and White,” Zero Art Museum, Beijing, China

2010
“The Right to Protest,” Museum on the Seam, Jerusalem, Israel
“Reflection of Minds,” Shanghai MoCA, Shanghai, China
“Passing China,” Sanatorium, Istanbul, Turkey
“HomeLessHome,” Museum on the Seam, Jerusalem, Israel
“Armed & Dangerous: Art of the Arsenal,” Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA

2009
“AnimamixBiennial,”Shanghai MoCA, Shanghai, China; Today Art Museum, Beijing, China; Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China
“Shore – Contemporary Academy Sculpture Exhibition,” Moon River Art Museum, Beijing, China
“Blank – Making China,” Zhongjian Art Museum, Beijing, China
“International Contemporary Art Invitational Exhibition,” Seoul Art Museum, Seoul, Korea
“Erotic – Contemporary Art Invitational Exhibition,” Dadi Rui City Exhibition Center, Jinan, China
“The Big World: Recent Art from China,” Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
“Passing By China,” Eli Klein Fine Art, New York, NY
“Camouflage,” La Casa Encendida, Madrid, Spain

2008
“Stairway to Heaven: From Chinese Streets to Monuments and Skyscrapers,” Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston, ME
“Mixed Maze – Group Photography Exhibition,” Red Mansion Foundation, London, UK
“New Middle Kingdom,” Royal Liver Building, Liverpool, UK
“Force-Form,” International Contemporary Art Exhibition, Bridge Art Center, Beijing, China
International Exhibition, Roma International Contemporary and Modern Art Center, Roma, Italy
Sunshine International Art Museum, Songzhuang, Beijing, China

2007
“China Now: Lost in Transition,” Eli Klein Fine Art, New York, NY
“Since,” Gao Brothers Art Center, Beijing, China
“Olympic Landscape Sculpture Exhibition,” Beijing, China
“Memory: Contemporary Art Exhibition,” New York Art Center, Beijing, China
“Les Rencontres d'Arles,” Arles, France
“Made in China - Chinese Contemporary Art,” Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China
“Union - Exhibition of Chinese and Chile Artists,” No. 1 China Art Base, Beijing, China
“Union in June,” Chinese Performance Art Exhibition, Songzhuang, Beijing, China
“Resettling -  SuoJia Village Modern Art Exhibition,” Beijing International Arts Camp II Ka Tsuen, Beijing, China
“The First ‘Breathing’ - Shandong Modern Art Exhibition,” Shandong Museum,  Shandong, China

2006
Songzhuang Art Festival, Songzhuang Art Zone, Beijing, China
“Qingzhou International Contemporary Art Exhibition,” Qingzhou Museum,  Shandong, China
“Third Contemporary Art Exhibition,” Sunshine International Museum, Beijing, China
“Contemporary Art Exhibition of Dismantle,” Xiyuantianlu Business Hotel, Beijing, China

2005
“Beijing Calligraphy Exhibition,” Maside Art Center, Beijing, China
“Lead Times,” Chang Chau Chinese Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition, Tianjin Harbor Plaza, Tianjin, China
“Di-Di-Dismantle,” Beijing International Arts Camp II Ka Tsuen, Beijing, China
“Considerable,” West Lake International Sculpture Exhibition, Hangzhou Fine Art Museum, Hangzhou, China

2001
“The Second Invitational Sculpture Exhibition of Contemporary Young Sculptors,” Hangzhou Fine Art Museum, Hangzhou, China
“Works Exhibition,” The First China Sculpture Competition, China

2000
“The Second Metals Work Exhibition,” Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China

Selected Public Collections

88-MOCCA, Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH
ARTantide Museum, Verona, Italy
Banca Aletti, Milan, Italy
Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston, ME
Collection SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE, France
Collection NEUFLIZE VIE, France
Fondation Ariane de Rothschild, Madrid, Spain
FMAC Paris, France
Fondation Frances, Senlis, France
MART, Museo d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto, Rovereto, Italy
Museum on the Seam, Jerusalem, Israel
The Red Mansion Foundation, London, UK
Symbolic Collection, San Diego, CA
Teutloff Photo & Video Collection, Bielefeld, Germany
Unicredit Group, Italy