Ethan and His Artwork: Here Comes the Nian Beast

This is the artwork Ethan created for the 2025 National Youth Art Exhibition, hosted by the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

He completed this piece on June 15, 2025, at the age of 3 years and 7 months.

Here’s a look at Ethan’s creative process and the final artwork:

Beautiful Lunar New Year – Here Comes the Nian Beast

About Ethan and His Artwork

Title: Beautiful Lunar New Year – Here Comes the Nian Beast
Artist: Ethan Ruizhe Cao
Nationality: New Zealand
Age at the Time of Creation: 3 years and 7 months
Date of Birth: October 20, 2021
School: The British School of Beijing
Class: Nursery A

About the Artist

Ethan was born in New Zealand. When he was 1 year and 7 months old, he came to China for the first time and was deeply fascinated by its culture and landscapes. Beijing's cuisine like roast duck, China's space technology including rockets and space stations, and the magnificent natural landscapes of mountains and lakes—all of these captivated him.

The legendary 'Nian Beast' from Chinese New Year folklore particularly fascinated him. During the 2025 New Year, Ethan created his first artwork of the Nian Beast. For this exhibition, he enthusiastically created a brand-new Nian Beast. This piece reflects his imaginative interpretation of the Nian legend and showcases his continued creative passion and expressive innocence.

About the Artwork

This artwork is inspired by Ethan’s understanding and imagination of the legendary Nian Beast, combined with his impression of the New Year celebration.

The artwork features various festive elements: the Nian Beast, snowflakes, fireworks, blooming spring flowers and grass, small houses, and lanterns. Each element reflects the vibrant and heartwarming spirit of the New Year as seen through his eyes.

During the creative process, Ethan thoughtfully used recyclable materials—such as plastic bags and fruit netting—demonstrating both an early awareness of environmental care and a creative use of everyday items.