Acrylic paintings created by Beijing-based artist Lesouls capture viewers’ attention—but it’s also appropriate to say that they “spark” their interest.
Those who look up “Lesouls Art” on social media (he’s active on Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms) will find themselves looking at what appears to be well-composed and rather lovely paintings. Then, the artist’s hand enters the frame, gripping a match.
Wait. Is he exposing his painting to flame?
Yes! But don’t panic: he’s not lighting his work on fire to destroy it; he’s lighting it to bring it to life.
No one can quite figure out how, but as soon as that lit match comes into contact with the canvas, Lesouls’s paintings—already rich with detailed subject matter—reveal even more. Look: there are flower petals on the ground, a moon in the sky, and leaves falling from trees in the distance. It’s truly extraordinary to behold, even through a screen.
Lesouls’s boundary-pushing art compels some of his biggest fans to call him a “sorcerer.” They desire to know how all these hidden layers in the painting suddenly emerge. Could it be a special ingredient in the paints he uses? Has the canvas itself been modified in any way? His ability to turn each of his paintings into an interactive experience comes across as a type of art in and of itself.
Lesouls’s attention-grabbing and mind-boggling paintings prove that there is much to be said about artists who introduce us to experimental mediums we didn’t know existed. Interestingly, Lesouls doesn’t turn the camera around to focus on himself. By directing his audience’s attention solely to his paintings, he underscores how the mystery behind his work makes it even more special.
As his fanbase continues to expand, both those familiar with his art and those yet to discover it will be mesmerized by Lesouls’s boundless creativity and talent, as well as his genuine excitement to share it with the world. Every time a match comes into view in his videos, it might as well be considered a tiny torch—an indication that he is leading the way in this magical, experimental, and entertaining new medium.