A sculptor by training, Liu Bolin 刘勃麟 (born on 7 January 1973 in Shandong province, China) obtained an art degree from the Shandong Arts Institute in 1995, followed by a master’s in sculpture at the prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing in 2001. He studied under, then assisted, the contemporary sculptor Sui Jianguo before setting out as an independent artist.
In the series Learn by Figure, Liu Bolin drew his inspiration from socially meaningful signs and forms typical of China. Using his well-known camouflage method so that to make people’s face disappear into the monochrome background, he created unsettling images in which the viewer catch a glimpse of Chinese education and authority.
