Blend in to make a stand

Models painted in camouflage colours to blend in with the background pose for Chinese artist Liu Bolin's artwork "Dongzhi", or Winter Solstice, in Beijing on Sunday, the second day after China's capital issued its second-ever "red alert" for air pollution.

Liu told Reuters that, in this artwork, he wants to express his concerns about China and its people, including the air pollution problem.

Shandong-born Liu, 42, is known as "the invisible man" for using painted-on camouflage to blend into the backdrops of his photographs. His most popular works are from his "Hiding in the City" series where he used his own body to paint himself into various settings in Beijing as a means of silent protest, calling attention to the lack of protection Chinese artists receive from their own government.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 22, 2015, with the headline Blend in to make a stand. Subscribe