Depicting the character of the Games

Besides paintings done on Chinese art paper, some of his works in the series are also presented on blue and white ceramic, an art form that dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The reason for choosing this approach, he says, is that blue and white can be used to represent ice and snow.

This is not the first time Wang has brought out the essence of the Olympics through Chinese ink painting. In 2008, Wang held an exhibition featuring 41 of his ink paintings themed around the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

One of the works, titled Chao, or Nest, depicts the Beijing National Stadium, commonly referred to as the Bird's Nest in the capital and "symbolizes the cradle of life, which embodies the hope of humankind", says Wang. The painting can currently be seen at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

"Compared with the works I created 13 years ago, these creations for the Winter Olympics have torn down more boundaries between Chinese characters and painting," he says. "At first glance, it could be difficult to tell if there's a Chinese character in the work. I did this as it leaves space for imagination."

"As the Olympics Games promote cultural exchanges, I hope my work will help an international audience learn more about Chinese aesthetics, philosophy and traditions, and pay tribute to the Olympic spirit," he adds.

Wang's Winter Olympics series of paintings will be displayed to the public in Beijing and Shanghai this year.