2 Search for picture references 30 minutes per day.

3 Read the books from my reading list 30 Minutes a day.

4 Upload my collections to Padlet twice a week.

5 Watch videos and movies about 731 on Youtube and Bilibili about every 2 days.

Color: Black and White (Maybe color them diditally)

Size: A4 A3

Outcome format: Portraits & illustrations

Platform: Drawings on Papers or Canvas

Time: 7-10 days per piece of work

Materials: Fineliners, Pens and Ink, water color, oil painting pigments, Brushpens, iPad Procreate, Photoshop

Style: Kim Junggi, Frankline Booth, Bernie Wrightson,Lines and Dots, Francis Bacon portraits, Zdzisław Beksiński surreal paintings or drawings. Tetsuya Ishida paintings.

Tone: Darkness, Violent, Erotic, Evil

Audience: History enthusiast Adults & Horror Movie, Comic, Art Enthusiasts. Darkness art enthusiasts.

Books to read: Francis Bacon Human Presence Tetsuya Ishida Beksinski: The Art of Painting Dark Stories By Dark Artists.

Movie Reference: Men Behind the Sun （1988）

Unit 731: Laboratory of the Devil （1992）

Unit 731: A Narrow Escape (1994)

Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre,(1995)

Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)

Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)

Saw (2004)

八仙饭店之人肉叉烧包 The Untold Story （1993）

The Substance (2024)

Hannibal (2012)

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Game Reference: Grand Theft Auto V (2013) Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)

Size: 50x70cm

Size: 50x70cm

Size: 50x70cm

Size: 50x70cm

Size: 50x70cm

I am Mingze Liu (Leo), an illustrator dedicated to exploring the aesthetics of violence and dark art, using visual storytelling to critique reality and the darker aspects of human nature. My work often revolves around themes of anxiety, conflict, death, and rebirth, expressing intense emotions and dynamic compositions that compel viewers to confront the chaos and struggles hidden deep within their consciousness.

I primarily work with pen and watercolor, where pen drawings emphasize sharp, precise linework, while watercolor adds a dreamlike fluidity, balancing rational structure with raw emotion. My artistic style is mainly realistic and surrealist, occasionally incorporating anime influences, creating a unique visual experience that oscillates between the tangible and the distorted, the real and the fantastical.

My artistic approach is heavily influenced by Francis Bacon, Zdzisław Beksiński, Kim Jung Gi, and Bernie Wrightson. Their mastery of distorted forms, spatial manipulation, and dramatic lighting has inspired me to push the boundaries of perception—using exaggeration, deformation, and even violent imagery to uncover deeper emotional and philosophical reflections.

In my work, violence is not just destruction; it can also be a prelude to rebirth. Darkness is not merely something to be feared; it holds a distinct, unsettling beauty. Through my illustrations, I aim to draw viewers into a world both unfamiliar and painfully real—one where they can find their own interpretations and resonate with the hidden truths within the art.

Unit 731 was a secret biological warfare research unit under the Imperial Japanese Army's Kwantung Army during World War II. Based in Pingfang District, Harbin, China, it conducted inhumane experiments on live human subjects from 1936 to 1945, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. Victims included Chinese civilians, prisoners of war (POWs) from China, Korea, the Soviet Union, and some Allied forces.

Human targets were used to test grenades positioned at various distances and in various positions. Flamethrowers were tested on people.^[58] Victims were also tied to stakes and used as targets to test pathogen-releasing bombs, chemical weapons, shrapnel bombs with varying amounts of fragments, and explosive bombs as well as bayonets and knives.

To determine the best course of treatment for varying degrees of shrapnel wounds sustained on the field by Japanese Soldiers, Chinese prisoners were exposed to direct bomb blasts. They were strapped, unprotected, to wooden planks that were staked into the ground at increasing distances around a bomb that was then detonated. It was surgery for most, autopsies for the rest.

— Unit 731, Nightmare in Manchuria

The "human-animal hybrid experiments" of Unit 731 were not gene engineering or hybrid experiments in the modern sense, but rather extreme forms of biological testing. The methods used in these experiments included, but were not limited to, the following:

1. Organ Transplants: The researchers would transplant organs, tissues, or embryos from animals into human bodies, observing how the human body would react to animal tissues. At times, live animals were combined with human body parts, such as implanting animal embryos into human women or transplanting animal reproductive organs into human bodies.

2. Forced Mating: Some experiments forced victims, mostly women, to engage in sexual intercourse with animals in order to observe reproductive reactions between humans and animals. These actions had no ethical basis and were purely done to satisfy the military and scientific "needs" of the experiments.

3. Vivisection and Organ Removal: In certain experiments, the bodies of victims were dissected, cut, or had their organs removed, sometimes replacing parts of the human body with animal parts. These experiments were extremely brutal, conducted without anesthesia, and often led to the victims dying from the unbearable pain during the procedures.

These experiments had no scientific value and were solely for military purposes, ignoring the basic principles of human life and ethics. They reflected the extreme racism of the time and grossly violated human dignity, leaving a profound scar in history.

The purpose of this horrific experiment was to observe the mother's reaction. The Japanese wanted to determine whether the mother would choose to protect her child by holding them in her arms to shield them from the scorching heat or if she would step on her child to protect herself from being burned.

The "Motherly Love Experiment" conducted by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II was one of the most extreme, inhumane, and sadistic experiments targeting the relationship between mothers and their infants. These experiments not only completely disregarded ethics and human dignity but also carried strong racist undertones, attempting to use extreme experimental methods to destroy and corrupt the most fundamental emotional bond of humanity—maternal love.

• Forced Pregnancies: The researchers at Unit 731 forced women to become pregnant or used already pregnant women as test subjects to observe their physiological changes and emotional responses during pregnancy. Most of these women were prisoners of war or civilians from China, Korea, Mongolia, and other occupied regions, unable to resist these forced reproductive experiments.

• Separation and Experimentation on Mothers and Infants: Once the babies were born, Unit 731 would separate them from their mothers and subject them to various cruel experiments without any protection or anesthesia. Infants were often injected with poisons, exposed to chemical agents, subjected to cutting experiments, or even dissected alive. Researchers would observe how mothers reacted to their infants' suffering and death, attempting to extract so-called "maternal instinct" data from their responses.

• Forced Feeding and Psychological Torture: Some experiments involved forcibly feeding infants while simultaneously subjecting their mothers to extreme torture and psychological torment. Researchers would deliberately inflict harm to observe the emotional breakdown of the mothers under such distressing conditions.

• Merciless Death: In these experiments, victims—especially infants and pregnant women—frequently died due to severe injuries, infections, extreme blood loss, and other traumas. The experiments were conducted without anesthesia or any form of humane treatment, and many victims suffered unimaginable agony before death.

Experimental Methods

1. Outdoor Frostbite Exposure Experiments

Victims were forcibly exposed to freezing temperatures while their skin was left bare. The methods used included:

• Forced Exposure in Subzero Conditions

  • Victims were made to stand outdoors in freezing temperatures, often in Harbin’s winter, where temperatures could drop below -30°C (-22°F).

  • To accelerate the frostbite process, experimenters would pour water on the victims' limbs.

• Wooden Stick Test (Tapping Test)

  • Once the victims' limbs were frozen, the Japanese experimenters would strike their arms or legs with wooden or metal rods.

  • If the impact produced a sound similar to that of striking wood, it indicated that the limbs were completely frozen.

2. Ice Water Immersion Experiments

• Victims were forced to submerge their hands and feet in ice water until their tissues were completely frozen.

• The immersion lasted for several hours or even more than ten hours, until blood circulation stopped and the skin turned black.

• In some cases, victims were submerged up to their necks in ice water, leading to extreme frostbite over their entire body.

3. Rewarming Experiments (Cruel "Treatment" Methods)

After freezing the victims’ limbs or bodies, experimenters conducted various rewarming experiments to test different "treatment" methods. These included:

• Pouring Hot Water on the Frostbitten Limbs

  • Victims' limbs were directly doused with hot water (typically 40-50°C or 104-122°F).

  • Due to the sudden temperature increase, severely frostbitten areas suffered necrosis, skin ruptures, and heavy bleeding.

• Burning the Frostbitten Limbs

  • Victims' hands and feet were placed near open flames to test if blood circulation could be restored.

  • This method often resulted in severe burns, adding to the victims' suffering.

• Peeling Off Skin and Muscles

  • In some cases, experimenters would strip the frozen skin off the victims' limbs to examine damage to the muscles and bones.

  • These procedures were often performed without anesthesia, causing extreme agony.

• Amputation Experiments

  • Once victims’ limbs were completely necrotic, Unit 731 conducted amputations to study wound healing.

  • Some victims had multiple limbs amputated but were kept alive to observe long-term physiological effects.

Experimental Outcomes and Consequences

• Most victims died from extreme pain, infections, or organ failure.

• Those who survived suffered lifelong disabilities due to amputations or severe tissue necrosis.

• The experiments yielded no significant medical advancements and were merely part of Unit 731’s brutal human experimentation program.

• After the war, many members of Unit 731 escaped justice due to agreements between the U.S. and Japan, with some even integrating into Japan’s medical community.

It was precisely this reflection on technology and human nature that led me to my Unit 10 project. I chose to focus on the crimes of Japan’s Unit 731 because it represents a dark period in history when modern technology was pushed to its extreme misuse. Under the guise of medical and scientific research, Unit 731 conducted inhumane experiments on living human beings, reducing them to mere test subjects and completely violating the ethical foundations of science.

The transition from the negative effects of the Industrial Revolution to the atrocities of Unit 731 was not accidental but rather a continuation of my research and critical thinking. I realized that both the Industrial Revolution within a steampunk context and Unit 731’s wartime experiments reveal the same fundamental contradiction between technology and humanity. When technology is controlled by the wrong hands, it does not bring progress—it becomes a catalyst for catastrophe. Through my Unit 10 work, I aim to further explore the relationship between war, technology, and human nature, confronting viewers with the darkest aspects of history and provoking deeper reflection.

To determine the best course of treatment for varying degrees of shrapnel wounds sustained on the field by Japanese Soldiers, Chinese prisoners were exposed to direct bomb blasts. They were strapped, unprotected, to wooden planks that were staked into the ground at increasing distances around a bomb that was then detonated. It was surgery for most, autopsies for the rest.

— Unit 731, Nightmare in Manchuria

Naoji Uezono, a member of Unit 731, described in a 1980s interview a grisly scene where Yoshimura had "two naked men put in an area 40–50 degrees below zero and researchers filmed the whole process until died. They suffered such agony and they were digging their nails into each other's flesh." Yoshimura's lack of remorse was evident in an article he wrote for the Japanese Journal of Physiology in 1950 in which he admitted to using 20 children and a three-day-old infant in experiments which exposed them to zero-degree-Celsius ice and salt water. Although this article drew criticism, Yoshimura denied any guilt when contacted by a reporter from the Mainichi Shimbun.

In these experiments, members of Unit 731 performed inhumane breeding between living humans and animals (such as monkeys, dogs, and horses), often through violent means, forcing women to mate with animals. Those who resisted were executed by gunfire. They even attempted to implant human embryos into animals in an effort to achieve genetic fusion between species. The subjects in these experiments often endured extreme pain and suffering, with many ultimately dying as a result of the experiments.

These experiments were extremely cruel, and many victims endured immense pain during the dissections. Some of the experiments involved removing organs from living subjects, injecting viruses or bacteria, and observing how the body reacted to these invasions. Many of the Japanese 731 perpetrators justified these actions as necessary for scientific research, but in reality, these experiments were part of Japan's horrific military and imperialist agenda.

Size: 4500x4500 pixels

Size: 12000x7000 pixels

Size: 25x42 cm

Size: 25x42 cm

Size: 25x42 cm

Size: 21x42 cm

These experiments included but were not limited to:

• Live Infection Experiments: Researchers injected deadly bacteria such as anthrax, plague, cholera, and typhoid into live human subjects to observe the progression of diseases. Some were later dissected to study the effects of bacteria on the human body.

• Airborne and Waterborne Transmission Experiments: Researchers contaminated drinking water and released bacteria into the air to test the possibility of large-scale infections.

• Flea Transmission Experiments: Unit 731 bred large numbers of plague-infected fleas and released them via airdrops to target areas, causing outbreaks. One of the most infamous cases was the bacterial warfare waged in Zhejiang and Hunan, China, which led to mass civilian casualties due to plague infections.

• Human Endurance Experiments: Test subjects were exposed to extreme conditions to observe the survival rate and virulence of pathogens under different environments.

These experiments led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. After the war, the Japanese government destroyed much of the evidence, and many members of Unit 731 were never held accountable. Some were even granted immunity by the U.S. in exchange for their experimental data.

The experiments included:

• Live Infections: Injecting deadly bacteria such as anthrax, plague, cholera, and typhoid into living humans to observe disease progression, followed by vivisections for research.

• Airborne and Waterborne Transmission: Contaminating drinking water and releasing bacteria into the air to test mass infection possibilities.

• Flea-Borne Plague: Breeding plague-infected fleas and releasing them via air drops to cause outbreaks.

• Human Endurance Tests: Studying the survival rates of bacteria in different environments and their effects on the human body.

These experiments led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. After the war, Japan destroyed much of the evidence, and some Unit 731 members escaped prosecution by exchanging their experimental data with the United States.

Size: 29.7x42 cm

Size: 29.7x42 cm

Size: 29.7x42 cm

Size: 29.7x42 cm

Size: 29.7x42 cm

Size: 29.7x42 cm

Size: 29.7x42 cm

Size: 29.7x32 cm

Size: 29.7x32 cm

Researchers removed the skin of living victims to examine muscle, blood vessels, and nerve reactions. In some cases, the exposed tissue was left open to the air in order to study bacterial infection and tissue necrosis. These acts were committed in the name of science, but in reality, they were horrific war crimes that violated all medical ethics and humanity.

The international community has since recognized these experiments as serious crimes against humanity.

Size: 29.7x42 cm

Size: 29.7x42 cm

Size: 29.7x42 cm

Main methods included:

Bacterial experiments: Infants were deliberately infected with deadly pathogens such as cholera, anthrax, and plague to observe disease progression and transmission.

Freezing experiments: Babies were exposed to extremely low temperatures to test their limits of endurance and to study the effects of frostbite.

Drug testing: Infants were administered untested drugs or poisons to observe toxic reactions.

Vivisection: Infants were dissected alive without anesthesia to examine organ development and disease progression.

Pregnant women’s fetuses: In some cases, vivisections were carried out on pregnant women just before childbirth to study the fetus inside the womb.

These acts violated all principles of medical ethics and human morality, representing clear cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Size: 21x42 cm

Media: Oil painting on canvas

Size: 50x70cm

This is an animal portrait centered on a horse, rendered entirely in shades of blue, enveloping the scene in a deep, mournful atmosphere. The horse wears a sorrowful expression, eyes brimming with tears. Its lowered head and tightly closed mouth seem to silently convey endless pain and grief. The inspiration for this piece comes from the inhumane experiments carried out by Japan's Unit 731 during wartime, particularly the cruel persecution of vulnerable groups such as infants, women, and prisoners of war.

I chose the horse as a symbolic figure not only because it has represented loyalty, endurance, and sacrifice in Chinese traditional culture, but also because it has often appeared in war narratives as a silent witness. Though voiceless, it carries immense emotional weight. In this painting, the horse's sadness transcends species—it is an empathetic response to suffering, a gaze fixed on the scars of history.

Blue, the dominant color of the work, symbolizes calmness, mourning, and the quiet sorrow of remembrance. It flows like a cold current from historical memory—unobtrusive, yet impossible to ignore. The brushstrokes on the horse’s body are delicate; its fur undulates like waves, subtly trembling with emotional resonance. The background is intentionally simplified to highlight the horse’s expression and emotional presence, drawing the viewer’s attention to this silent mourning.

" Sorrow " is not a literal depiction of historical atrocities, but a symbolic expression. It commemorates, in a gentle yet resolute manner, the lives destroyed by the experiments of Unit 731. The horse stands not only as an emblem of individual grief but as a symbol of collective suffering.

Through this painting, I hope to awaken memory and respect for historical trauma, and offer a belated tribute and gentle attention to the victims who never had the chance to tell their stories.

Size: 50x70cm

Size: 50x70cm

Media: Photoshop

Size: 12000x7000 pixels

This is a digital artwork rendered in black-and-white linework, created using Photoshop. The scene depicts a bird’s nest at the moment a mother bird is struck and killed by an arrow as she returns home. The arrow pierces her body, yet she still tightly holds a worm in her beak—the food she brought back for her newly hatched chick. She dies in the nest, while the lone baby bird inside tilts its head upward in a sorrowful wail. Its tiny, featherless body trembles helplessly beside its mother’s corpse. Surrounding the nest is a crowd of moths, adding an ominous, unsettling atmosphere to the tragedy.

The inspiration for this piece comes from the crimes committed by Japan’s Unit 731 during World War II, particularly the cruel human experiments inflicted upon innocent civilians, especially infants and vulnerable groups. The nest symbolizes the beginning of life and the protection of a home, while the mother bird represents the nurturing force that is violently destroyed. The chick’s cry is not only an expression of grief over its mother's death but also a symbol of the silent screams of the innocent in history—those who never had a chance to see the world before being mercilessly extinguished.

The appearance of the moths symbolizes death, decay, and the wandering of restless souls, adding a surreal layer to the imagery. Through the use of stark, minimal black-and-white linework, I sought to heighten the emotional weight of the tragedy. The symbolic composition and imagery serve as both an accusation of the crimes committed by Unit 731 and a lament for its victims.

With The Orphaned, I hope viewers can feel the overwhelming helplessness, the suddenness of destruction, and the need to reflect on these dark fragments of history.

Size: 4500x7500 pixels

Size: 4500x7500 pixels

Size: 4500x7500 pixels

This is a black and white sketch I drew using my iPad and Procreate. The image shows a tense and fierce battle: a group of deer surrounding a fierce lion. Even though the deer are much weaker than the lion, they fight back bravely without fear. Many of the deer have fallen during the fight—there are signs of struggle, sacrifice, and determination all over the scene. The lion is badly wounded too, with scars all over its body. Despite all the losses, the deer still refuse to back down and keep the lion surrounded, not letting it do more harm.

I made this piece while thinking about the terrible crimes committed by Japan’s Unit 731 during the war in China. The cruel experiments they carried out brought pain and death to countless innocent people, but also awakened a strong spirit of resistance. In the drawing, the deer stand for the people who seemed weak on the outside but fought back bravely. The lion stands for the brutal and merciless invaders. Deer aren’t fighters by nature, but they have each other, and they have courage. Even when facing a powerful enemy, they choose to stand their ground and fight.

With this drawing, I hope people can feel the strength of courage—the idea that even if you’re at a disadvantage, don’t give in; even if the cost is high, still fight to protect your home and your dignity. This piece is not only a way to speak out against the crimes of Unit 731, but also a tribute to everyone who stood up and resisted.

I created a few black-and-white illustrations around themes like sacrifice, resistance, and the clash between care and destruction—such as The Orphaned and a quick sketch of deer fighting back against a lion. Even though I didn’t use color, I tried to let the emotions and tension come through clearly with just lines and composition. Choosing black and white helped me focus more on the feeling of the piece, without distractions.

I did face some challenges during the process. For example, how can I use animals to represent real historical events? How do I show both tragedy and dignity at the same time? These questions made me slow down and think more carefully about every detail. It also made me rethink what art really means to me.

What I’ve learned is that I don’t just want to make drawings that look good—I want them to say something. I hope that when people look at my art, they don’t just “see” it, but really feel it.

Looking back on this project, I’ve become more aware of how important a strong theme is, how useful symbolism can be, and how every artwork should have its own story to tell. This unit didn’t just help me improve my technical skills—it helped me understand what kind of artist I want to be, and what messages I want to share with the world.

A Day in History. (2023) ' The Unspeakable Things That Happened In Unit 731 ' [Youtube]. 16 March. Available at: https://youtu.be/-BpKixUKbU8?si=enMte5aw8SV3UgRnURL (Accessed: 26 April 2025).

The Infographics Show. (2019) 'The Horrors of Unit 731' [Youtube]. 25 April. Available at: https://youtu.be/D4nPxik59oE?si=mAUQXCF9u4yVzpCt (Accessed: 26 April 2025).

The Infographics Show. (2023) ' Insane Japanese Torture Methods Used During World War II - Unit 731 ' [Youtube]. 7 Octuber. Available at: https://youtu.be/K8GVHRMKOiM?si=8fk3qSaPaXWwFfxR (Accessed: 26 April 2025).

Jack in China. (2024) 'Harbin China - Unit 731 Museum Full Experience Warning - Disturbing Content' [Youtube]. 7 July. Available at: https://youtu.be/ZxHTxOyP_uE?si=3Zal6N5BVIAAN7e4 (Accessed: 26 April 2025).

World War Two. (2021) 'Japan's Biological Terror! - The Horror of Unit 731 - WW2 Special ' [Youtube]. 23 February. Available at: https://youtu.be/XhKN5XciluY?si=2Zjr_n-Uy0B-1nnv (Accessed: 26 April 2025).

Simple History. (2022) ' The Military Went Too Far With These Disturbing Experiments ' [Youtube]. 10 Octuber. Available at: https://youtu.be/ov7UniDqWo0?si=rnG_ht_bV7Qg8V0E (Accessed: 26 April 2025).

The Infographics Show. (2024) ' What They Didn't Teach You About UNIT 731 ' [Youtube]. 26 September. Available at: https://youtu.be/jy7AEMBDyFM?si=D9QZqnQH1pmhcoPb (Accessed: 26 April 2025).

At school, we play the “good student” to earn the teacher’s approval. At work, we act like the “perfect employee” to get rewards from the boss. In relationships, we pretend to be the “ideal partner” just to receive love and affection.

We wear mask after mask to fit into different roles.
And after a while, we forget who we really are.

Since childhood, we’ve been told: study hard to get a good job. Then we’re told: work hard to earn more money for a “better life.” Test after test, deadline after deadline—
everything feels planned out by someone else.

Sometimes I feel like a prisoner, being shuffled between schools, companies, families, and society.
I can be a good student, a good worker, a good family member, but I’m rarely allowed to be just myself.

That’s one big reason why I turned to art.
It’s my way to let out the pain, unfairness, and unspoken feelings I experience in real life. In my drawings, I imagine a version of myself that’s free and happy. In the world of art, I have the courage to say “I love you” to the girl I admire, the strength to fight back against oppression, and the freedom to explore ideas—even the ones society labels as “wrong.”

My art style changes a lot.
I don’t always name my works or write long descriptions,
because I believe art should be felt, not explained.
Everyone brings their own story, and so everyone sees something different. I hope people who view my work don’t just snap a quick photo and walk away. I want them to pause, feel, and maybe even get lost in the image. If you’re also tired of how the world looks from one point of view,
you’re welcome to step into my world—and maybe find a new way of seeing things.