Surreal, Overwhelming Photos of Chinese “Megacities”

By Tom Hawking

May 21, 2014

At first glance, these photos by German photographer Michael Wolf look like abstract studies in color and texture. But look closer, and you realize what you’re seeing is people’s homes. Wolf’s series The Architecture of Density, which we discovered via our friends at ANIMAL New York, examines the urban landscapes of Chinese cities, where millions of people are crammed into ultra-high-density housing blocks. The whimsical colors and striking patterns make for images that are as surreal as they are kinda terrifying.

Photo credit: Michael Wolf