Here’s my first ambigram of the year: 32 = 99 – 1 – 66. The equality holds even when you flip the image below upside down! The next step is to do the same with the number 23 — any ideas?
⇨ More number facts.
32, numerical ambigram
Ambiguous figures
Hypnotic Disc
Take a moment to focus on the circular pattern. How many spirals do you see? The surprising answer is none. There are no spirals here—just alternating black and yellow discs, slightly off-center and layered to create a striking illusion of swirling depth and motion.
I began crafting pieces like this in the early ’90s, drawing inspiration from Duchamp’s Rotoreliefs. I was captivated by how simple rotation could deceive the eye, inviting the viewer into a world of optical illusions. It’s a unique experience—seeing motion and depth in something entirely flat, both puzzling and mesmerizing.
This op art pattern comes to life across various mediums and transforms into artistic expressions on different objects. In my online gallery, you’ll find art prints and everyday items featuring this work, all available for purchase.
Perspective Optical Illusions: The art of circling the square
When bending the sides of a square structure forward, each edge forming a sine wave shape, the structure reveals a circle when viewed from the reverse angle. This illusion plays with perspective, specifically utilizing an effect known as “anamorphosis“.
Anamorphosis refers to a artistic technique that uses perspective to create distorted images that can only be viewed correctly from a specific angle.
Triangles of Beauty
Introducing my latest creation, Triangles of Beauty—a minimalist mosaic that blends geometric precision with visual intrigue. This op art piece showcases a striking arrangement of triangular shapes in sepia tones, merging rich shades of brown and beige. The triangle, a timeless symbol, embodies the balance of masculine and feminine energies, forming a harmonious third element that transcends duality. It represents strength, unity, and the divine—a visual echo of the trinity, where individual components unite into something greater.
Step back and let the patterns unfold to reveal the depth within this thought-provoking piece.
This thought-provoking op art piece is available in my online galleries:
Moona Lisa
In 1997, I remixed the Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting Mona Lisa, into 142 perfectly spaced color beads placed at the intersections of an imaginary two-dimensional triangular network. Close up, the picture of the set of beads makes no sense, but if you see it from a distance you will perceive (or at least ‘guess’?) the portrait of Mona Lisa, the most famous Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting.
Stereotypes in Visual Perception
Our unconscious biases and stereotypes can influence our brain’s visual systems, leading us to perceive things and people in ways that align with these stereotypes.
Seeing nude women? Before assuming it’s pornography, reconsider… It’s fascinating how our minds are conditioned and stereotyped: in the first image, we instantly envision women in Adam and Eve attire, whereas the second presents a different reality.
Ship in a Klein Bottle
Embarking on a journey in a Klein bottle? Absolutely. A Klein bottle is a mind-bending non-orientable surface, defying the usual inside-outside norms. Technically, the ship’s navigating the interior…
Snag prints and cool merch from my online gallery.
The Master of Numbers
Presenting “The Master of Numbers,” my acclaimed artwork. This photomosaic portrait, assembled from 288 random number-themed photos, creates a captivating optical illusion, revealing the image of a great physicist from a distance.
Currently showcased in numerous Museum of Illusions globally, posters and prints of this optical art can be found on my online store.
“Infinity”, A Kaleidoscope of Squares
With this work, I aim to push geometry to its limits, transcending the confines of color. My goal is to showcase the creative potential of simple concentric squares as a medium for experimentation and the discovery of new op art patterns. By delving into this exploration, I strive to unveil captivating illusions of color and mesmerizing motion.
Draw a large and a small square with thick lines and center them (Fig. A). Next, blend the inner and outer squares in six steps to create a set of concentric squares. Reproduce the set to form a larger square pattern, as shown in Fig. B.
“Enigma”, Paradoxical Volumes
In these minimalist op art pieces, I delve into the metaphoric realm of geometric shapes, with a particular focus on the hexagon as the foundational element for creating cubes and other simple three-dimensional regular shapes.
The artworks I present depict solid or three-dimensional structures that appear plausible and real, yet are in fact illusions known as ‘impossible figures.’ However, discerning these impossible figures isn’t immediately evident; one must concentrate on specific areas of the representation to grasp that they could never exist in reality! Drawing an impossible stereographic structure becomes achievable by merging two or more contrasting viewpoints or perspectives of the same object, or even by blurring the boundaries between the exterior and interior of an object…
The more ‘normal’ and ‘simple’ an impossible figure appears, the more captivating it becomes! Indeed, impossible objects aren’t created solely to bewilder the eyes; their purpose lies in confounding the mind and challenging one’s acquired visuo-spatial skills and stereographic knowledge.
The two intricate drawings displayed above and below combine two tribars to form an impossible isometric cube, showcasing a mesmerizing interplay between form and illusion.
