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Independent artist collective · publisher · multimedia research node

1. Overview

Art of FACELESS (AOF) is a multidisciplinary artist collective and independent publishing entity established in 2012 by Lloyd Lewis in Cardiff, Wales (UK). Operating across literature, digital media, photography, music, and experimental narrative design, AOF develops hybrid forms of publishing that integrate analogue practices with contemporary digital infrastructures.

The collective is characterised by a research-oriented approach to authorship, identity, and decentralised creative systems. Its flagship long-form project is The Hollow Circuit, an expansive lunar-punk narrative universe spanning prose, visual novels, photography, and interactive artefacts.

AOF is structured as an interconnected network of creative “nodes,” each representing a medium, platform, or experimental sub-project. This distributed model forms the basis of AOF’s publishing philosophy: “Facelessness is Freedom.”

2. History

Art of FACELESS originated in 2012 with a series of glitch-based video experiments and photographic studies addressing mental illness, identity distortion, and digital embodiment. These early works established the aesthetic and conceptual foundation of the AOF universe.

Between 2013 and 2015, the project expanded into independent music publishing, alt-fiction, and zine culture under a variety of sub-identities. A period of reduced activity followed from 2017 onward due to the founder’s diagnosis of Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, prompting a strategic re-evaluation of the collective’s purpose, structure, and long-term sustainability.

AOF re-emerged in 2024–2025 with a comprehensive rebuild of its digital and print architecture, integrating decentralised distribution, offline artefact drops, and a new emphasis on narrative design through The Hollow Circuit. This relaunch consolidated the project’s various strands into a coherent publishing and research network.

3. Key Projects

3.1 The Hollow Circuit (THC)

A lunar-punk literary and multimedia universe comprising a multi-book cycle, a visual novel series, and extensive world-building documents. THC is the principal narrative pillar of the AOF network.

3.2 ZineGlitch

A digital and print zine imprint dedicated to experimental writing, photography, visual culture, and alt-format micropublications.

3.3 Kiss My Etchings (KME)

An avant-garde satellite node publishing alternative literature, erotic art, and cross-genre experiments outside the main AOF canon.

3.4 _THE_NULL/GATE

A photographic and artefact-based project utilising Instax film, analogue processes, and 3D experimental visuals. This node explores memory, identity fragmentation, and the aesthetics of disappearance.

3.5 Chips & PIE Records

AOF’s sonic and video production arm, releasing experimental soundtracks, audiovisual studies, and promotional material for The Hollow Circuit and associated works.

4. Philosophy

AOF’s creative and publishing ethos is grounded in the principle:

“Facelessness is Freedom.”

This concept frames identity as distributed rather than centralised, favouring collaborative systems, anonymity, decentralised authorship, and multi-node expression. AOF rejects platform-dependency and algorithmic gatekeeping in favour of:

  • offline-first distribution
  • QR-driven artefacts
  • independent hosting
  • minimal reliance on centralised social media
  • non-linear reader pathways
  • blended analogue/digital archives

AOF positions facelessness as both artistic methodology and ethical stance, challenging contemporary norms around biometric identity, visibility, and platform-mediated authenticity.

5. Timeline

  • 2012 — Creation of AOF logo and initial glitch video works
  • 2012 — Mental illness photographic series established
  • 2013 — First independent music release
  • 2014 — Launch of Kiss My Etchings (KME)
  • 2015 — Early web architecture expansions
  • 2017 — Project hiatus following SPMS diagnosis
  • 2024 — First poetry collection released under Awen Null
  • 2025 — Full AOF network rebuild; launch cycle for The Hollow Circuit

6. Network and External Nodes

7. References

  1. Art of FACELESS Official Website — https://artoffaceless.com
  2. AOF Node Index — https://linktr.ee/artoffaceless