This popular artist is turning gallery walls into 3D illusions with spray paint

Mint

12-07-2025

Optical illusions are all the rage on social media these days. Be it spot the difference games or finding the hidden object, there's a lot out there on the internet to give your brain a quick workout. But did you know that there are people who create artworks that are not less than any optical illusion? Mark Rox, known as pop.art.pov on Instagram, is an artist whose optical illusion-like works are going viral. Rox drops fascinating murals of his artworks and the effort that goes into creating them.
Rox, who calls himself a graffiti artist, has over 240,000 followers on Instagram. Most of his murals are located in Barcelona, Spain.
One of the clips shows behind-the-scenes process that went into making a mural of a cave in the middle of a gallery. The hole opens up to reveal a blue sky and plants growing around the jagged edges of the hole. The entire process took 90 days.
'Old ART - NEW reel! Slow version of the making process Artwork from MARK ROX in the museum of illusions in Barcelona🇪🇸 10 days in 90 seconds. I'm so thankful to you for being with me, for your support, likes and reposts! I'm so glad to inspire all of you, and you are inspire me,' the post read.
The artist is originally from Russia and grew up in Baltiysk, as per the Artevistas website. He got into art early - sketching in notebooks, on school walls, wherever he could. Since then, he's explored all kinds of formats - murals, digital artwork, 3D illusions - and created thousands of pieces. You'll find his work all across Russia and in cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Riyadh.
Mark later pulled together a graffiti crew called From the Heart and started his own mural company, Roxart. Over time, he's taken on a bigger role as art director for more than 20 entertainment museums around the world. In 2016, he won Chetrapromart, a national graffiti contest in Russia.
Even with global recognition, he keeps his roots close. Mark continues to paint walls himself, lead workshops, and work alongside new artists.
What is optical illusion art called?
It's often referred to as op art (short for optical art), a style that uses visual tricks to create movement, depth, or distortion.
What artist is known for optical illusions?
M.C. Escher is one of the most famous artists known for mind-bending optical illusions and impossible perspectives.
What are the three types of optical illusions?
The three main types are literal illusions, physiological illusions, and cognitive illusions.
How to make optical illusion images?
You can create them using contrasting colors, geometric patterns, shading, and perspective tricks - either by hand or with digital tools like Photoshop or Illustrator.