Artist prescribes cartoon bunnies for adult stress at Beijing gallery

Editor's Note: Can cartoon bunnies be the antidote to adult burnout? Artist Sophia Zhao is exploring this idea at her solo exhibition, "Too Happy: Live Like a Bunny," currently running at Winners Gallery in Beijing until Aug. 13.

The exhibition, featuring paintings and sculptures of smiling, anthropomorphic bunnies rendered in soft pastels, invites viewers to embrace lightness and joy in daily life. Zhao says her deliberately childlike imagery aims to counter what she sees as widespread emotional exhaustion in the modern world.

Her works employ an intentionally naive visual style, featuring pastel hues, smiling symbols, and playful details to promote simplicity, kindness and connection.

"Prosperity Collection," a mixed-media work combining hand-painted oils with digital pattern design, is on display at entrance to the "Too Happy: Live Like a Bunny" exhibition at Winners Gallery in Beijing, July 25, 2025. [Photo by Liu Ziying/China.org.cn]