Artist’s Enchanting Paintings Transform with the Flicker of a Match

Mesmerizing Paintings Come to Life When Exposed to Fire

By Emma Taggart on July 26, 2024

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From 3D paintings to textile landscapes, artists around the world are pushing the boundaries of art with experimental mediums. Now, Beijing-based artist Lesouls is taking creative innovation to an extraordinary level. His breathtaking acrylic paintings undergo a dramatic transformation when exposed to a lit match, revealing hidden layers and effects that illuminate the canvas.

Lesouls shares videos on Instagram where you can watch his paintings transform right before your eyes when he introduces them to fire. His landscapes, often featuring solitary figures or couples in remote settings, are impressive in their own right; but, once the flame comes in close proximity to the canvas, they're visually elevated. Suddenly, hidden details like petals, leaves, paths, and the moon magically emerge.

Lesoul's work is often compared to sorcery by his followers, but like any great magician, he keeps his secrets well-guarded. The precise method he uses to blend light, fire, and smoke into his paintings remains a mystery. However, in one Instagram post showcasing a campfire that seemingly ignites, Lesouls describes his work as “an electronic art installation that can be used continuously.”

Many of his works seem to use a special pigment that only reveals its secrets when exposed to heat or light. In others, Lesouls seems to use real fire on specific parts of the canvas, giving the impression that certain areas contain some sort of igniting material. No matter how he does it, each interactive painting grabs your attention and sparks your imagination, blending art with reality in a way that feels truly magical.

Check out some more interactive artworks below and you can find even more on Lesouls' Instagram.