Grinch Liu Tao

Self-taught photographer, Grinch Liu Tao, draws inspiration from daily life and the mundane. 
His work has been featured in world-renown publications including Time Magazine and BBC. 

Liu Tao’s  photo-series is bursting with dark humour and satire. In one image a cockerel clutches a cleaver whilst a woman and a mannequin are caught in an uncompromising position in another. “There’s a joking relationship between my work and my life,” he says. 

Liu Tao used to work for a water supply company and found himself in the city with ample time to spare. On the streets of his hometown, this is where his love for urban photography flourished. Walking 10-20km each day, Liu Tao captures the bizarre occurrences on the bustling streets of Hefei. 

To him, the streets are a rich breeding ground for inspiration; he is merely a bystander. “With the passage of time, street photography makes me feel vitality,” he says. “I knew nothing about the world around me. It was like I was always living in my own world.”