Painted People: 31 Works of Art on Human Canvas

Liu Bolin, the Invisible Man

Painted People Bolin


Known as the Invisible Man
, Liu Bolin studies his chosen locations for hours and then paints himself or other subjects to blend in. The artist takes texture and perspective into account to make the painted subjects seem to disappear.

People Made Invisible by Carolyn Roper

Painted People Roper

Shoppers at a market in England were shocked when what seemed like a pile of vegetables sprang up into human form before their eyes. This is just one illusion by Carolyn Roper, who paints people in fabric bodysuits to blend into urban settings like buses and streets.

Vera Lehndorff and Holger Trulzch

Painted People Window Frame
Painted People Vera Holger 2

A collaboration between iconic 1960s model Veruschka Lehndorff and artist Holger Trulzch, these images are among a series in which Veruschka is painted nude to blend into a background. The surroundings are often shabby, peeling, deteriorating in some way. As a result, the youth and beauty of the model is lost within the scene.