Liu Ye is a contemporary Chinese artist, born in Beijing. He studied in Beijing at the School of Arts and Crafts and the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

Liu Ye has stated, "I find that art should not interfere with politics because I see art as something universal, and not as something emanating from a specific country."

Unlike many Chinese children of his generation, Liu Ye was exposed to Western children's books, including books by Hans Christian Andersen. His father worked as an author of children's books, both for the government, and with his own texts. Because of his job, Liu Senior had access to "a library of children's books from around the world." Though Liu Senior was a writer, he did not illustrate his own books....