Real Life Models Turn Invisible Through Abstract Paintings

By Danny Baggott @dan_baggie

INCREDIBLE abstract paintings allow models to become almost invisible

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Artist Ben Heine created the amazing paintings in three locations around the world

Graphic artist, Ben Heine, has brought his artwork to life by using real people to blend into the background of his figurative canvases.

The models are positioned and painted over so accurately that they appear invisible and lost within the world of the stunning pictures.

Each image took Ben between two to five hours to create

Ben, 33, said: “The particularity of the project resides in the fact that a living person is integrated in an abstract or figurative painting.

“The model is part of the whole composition and the end result is often very colourful, wild and eye- catching!

He used a number of models to bring his work to life

“It took me between two to five hours per image – it goes fast and that’s part of the challenge.

“I only have a couple of hours and I start from scratch every time.”

Ben's 'Splashes' project took place at the Moscow Planetarium in Russia

The models were also dancers who performed a routine shortly after posing

Ben created his work in three separate locations; Ankara in Turkey, the Moscow Planetarium and the Brussels Science Museum.

He said: “In the art series done in Ankara, another interesting innovation was that the models moved and danced around when I had finished painting them.

Ben is also a music producer and the models danced to his music at the showcasing event

“It was really as if the artworks started to live by themselves – they were dancers from one of the best opera ballets in Turkey.

“The other models in Russia and Belgium stayed in front of the painting.”

Belgium-born Ben is also a music producer in his spare time and his music was played throughout the showcasing of the projects.

“The music is really a part of the creative process and performance,” he said.

Ben is aiming to create more of these incredible images very soon in another project

“I had seen Liu Bolin’s images representing a model disappearing in an industrial landscape – they were great, but I think they missed creativity and I wanted to add another layer.

“One of my favourite images is the one that shows some branches and flowers: to me, it symbolises a human lost in their own roots.”

The 33-year-old is extremely proud of the work he has produced

Ben is showing no signs of slowing down with his work and aims to create more of these figurative paintings very soon.

He said: “I am very proud of this work – it’s a big achievement for me because several people are involved: models, dancers, technicians, choreographers etc.

“My friends and family loved this project from the beginning and I think I will do more of these with other figurative paintings.

“Painting on a person is a challenge and an unforgettable experience.”

You can follow more of Ben’s work on his Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/benheineart