Liu Bolin, invisible man – in pictures

Liu Bolin poses for a picture before preparing for his performance – which requires him to blend completely into the background – in Caracas, Venezuela. Photograph: Jorge Silva/Reuters

Liu Bolin applies paint to his forehead as he prepares to blend into a backdrop of a shelf lined with comic books – part of a series of performances in Caracas. Photograph: Jorge Silva/Reuters

Liu Bolin has mostly gone but his head remains as he waits in front of a shelf lined with comic books for the finishing touches to his camouflage. Photograph: Jorge Silva/Reuters

Makeup complete, Liu Bolin has just about disappeared. Photograph: JORGE SILVA/REUTERS

Colleagues apply the final dabs of paint as Liu Bolin becomes part of a shelf of soft drinks. This artwork is entitled Plasticizer and was undertaken by the artist in his Beijing studio to express his dismay at the use of plasticizer in food additives. Photograph: Anonymous/AP

Going, going, gone … Liu Bolin gets close to disappearing. Photograph: AP

Liu Bolin merges with a magazine rack during a live performance of his Hiding in New York series of photographs – part of The Invisible Man, an exhiibtion at the Eli Klein art gallery in New York. Photograph: Martin Roe / Barcroft Media/Martin Roe / Barcroft Media

At one with nature: Liu Bolin in Behei park, Beijing. Photograph: Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Ripe and ready … Liu Bolin blends in with vegetables at a supermarket in Beijing. Photograph: China Daily China Daily Infor/Reuters

Liu Bolin stands in front of dragon sculptures in Behei park, Beijing. Photograph: Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Liu Bolin after a performance at the Grand Palais, Paris. Photograph: Bertrand Langlois/AFP/Getty Images

Liu Bolin by the Ponte di Rialto in Venice. Photograph: Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Be the seat … Liu Bolin at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Photograph: Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Part water, part iron, part brick: Liu Bolin in Venice. Photograph: Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Camouflage artist Liu Bolin at the Bird's Nest Olympic stadium in Beijing. Photograph: Quirky China News/REX

One of Liu Bolin's less comfortable performances – this one in Shandong, China. Photograph: Quirky China News/REX