As a Chinese cuisine lover, he said he goes to China two or three times a year. "I am fascinated with old Chinese culture, it is like a bottomless pit of visual treats," he said.
Explaining what inspired him to create the works for the Global Zodiac Design Competition in 2023 and 2024, he said, "I feel (Chinese culture) is an untapped resource visually," adding that both his works pay tribute to the past and inspire the future.
Referring to a comparison between the Western and Chinese dragons, Cleaver said the two types of dragons share some similarities in how they are depicted, but Chinese culture attributes much better qualities to the dragons than the concept of a beast prevailing in Western culture.
The Global Zodiac Design Competition is a signature cultural event co-sponsored by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism and the Central Academy of Fine Arts.
Besides exhibitions in Chinese cities, the works of this year's event themed on the Chinese dragon will also be on display at the Binche International Carnival and Mask Museum in Belgium, and Helsinki Airport in Finland until the end of February.
