In a previous interview with China Daily, Wang said he was astounded by the charm of nature and the universe when he first set foot in the Arctic.

"I was determined to protect this beautiful kingdom. I felt so small when surrounded by the myriad stars and the gorgeous aurora borealis over my head," he says.

Wang sees the ice from polar regions as something "still and solemn", whereas the snow or ice at the Olympics, he says, is vibrant.

To depict the movement of the athletes, Wang watched videos of the Olympics and read books to find the most attractive poses. For example, he found that the most eye-catching moment in figure skating is when female skaters spin on the ice.

"The position is similar to the Chinese character dong written in flowing calligraphy. Hence in the series, the skater's head is depicted as the first, left-slanting downward stroke of the character. Her legs and feet could be seen as the last two-dot strokes of the character, and the other parts of the body could be portrayed as the rest," Wang explains.