Huang Yongyu's zodiac animal paintings animate Beijing

One of artist Huang Yongyu's works. (Photo provided to China Daily)

"I am ugly, but my mom likes me," words next to a dark grey little mouse with large eyes say on the canvas.

This is a mouse painting by Chinese painter Huang Yongyu.

An exhibition featuring his 168 paintings of Chinese zodiac animals have been displayed at Beijing's National Museum of China since Jan. 19.

Born in 1924, Huang is from the Tujia ethnic group in Hunan province. Under his brushes, the twelve zodiac animals look funny and lively, often including witty dialogues or monologues written by Huang that highlight the character of the animal. He designed the stamps for the Year of the Monkey twice, once in 1980 and then in 2016.

Titled "Twelve Months of Twelve Years", the exhibition will run through Feb. 12.